Zabuza's Seven
by Blue Baby Blanket
Summary: Zabuza and Haku survived the battle on the bridge, Naruto did not. Unknowingly buried alive, he was saved by his former enemies. Joining them, Naruto now has a new purpose. To save Mist from tyranny, and reunite the Seven Shinobi Swordsman of the Mist.
1. The Bridge Of Fallen Heroes

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto

Zabuza's Seven

Chapter 1: The Bridge of Fallen Heroes

The mist was thick and the smell of blood permeated through the air. There were two separate battles taking place. One between two elite ninjas, Zabuza Momochi, the Demon of the Mist, secure in his element and Hatake Kakashi, the copy-ninja who was bleeding profusely and at a disadvantage.

Away from those two a dome of mirrors made of ice kept two young ninja trapped and at the mercy of Zabuza's apprentice, the androgynous ice user Haku. His opponents were Uchiha Sasuke, one of the remaining members of the Uchiha clan and Uzumaki Naruto, the Hidden Leaf Village's number one maverick ninja.

He had been slowly killing his opponents by inches, using his acupuncture needles, or senbon to inflict shallow wounds that would slowly bleed out. In time his opponents would pass out from blood loss sparing him the need to go for the kill.

Alas it seemed he would have to bloody his hands as Sasuke had awakened the blood-line limit of the Uchiha, the mirror wheel eye also called the sharingan. It allowed Sasuke to better evade Haku's senbon and would force the fight to drag on, which would drain Haku's chakra that was necessary to maintain the mirrors. Thus removing Sasuke from the fight was now a priority and Haku knew just how to do that.

'He's quite amazing. A prodigy still in the fledgling stages. To find that ability within himself and force it to awaken untutored in the heat of battle.' Haku thought to himself in regards to Sasuke's skill.

"I see, you too share the legacy of a blood-line." Haku said, calling out to Sasuke. "I can't let this fight go on. My own art forces me to expend a great deal of chakra so there is a limit to how long I can go on using it."

"I'm certain the longer our duel drags on, the greater your ability to perceive my movements will become. Especially since to a certain extent, you can already see me now." Haku continued, noting he was now at a disadvantage.

'It would be foolhardy to target you directly, but if I use the other boy as bait…' He now had a plan to incapacitate Sasuke.

Haku brought his senbon to a ready, holding them between each of his fingers. "Time to bring this to an end!" He shouted as he leapt out of a mirror to attack Naruto, who was still down.

'What, he's going after Naruto? I have to get there first!' Sasuke then leapt up to save his team-mate.

ZzZzZzZ

Elsewhere on the bridge Zabuza and Kakashi continued their fight. Zabuza would move in and strike and Kakashi would be forced to defend as the mist would cloud his vision, then Zabuza would return to his cover.

"He's gone again!" Yelled Haruno Sakura, the kunoichi of team seven. She had been staying by Tazuna's side as his guard since she could do little else.

"Sakura, don't move an inch. I'll finish this as quickly as I can!" Called out Kakashi to his student.

"But…, oh…, okay!" Sakura replied. There was nothing else she could do in these circumstances.

"Did you hear that Zabuza? Do you truly believe, after all of the hardships I've survived in this world armed only with the sharingan?" Kakashi called out to Zabuza through the mist while unlocking a pouch on his vest.

"I too was once a member of a ninja assassin corps. I'll show you what kind of shinobi I once was. This isn't something I learned with the sharingan. Let me show you my own true art!" Continued Kakashi as he pulled out a scroll.

ZzZzZzZ

Back with Haku, Naruto and Sasuke, two were on the ground and one was barely standing.

"Sheesh, no matter how many times I warn you Naruto you still keep getting in my way." Said Sasuke in a state of shock. The line slipped out as if his mouth acted on it's own accord. He had intended to save Naruto once again as he thought his team-mate was still passed out and vulnerable from Haku's last assault. He had made the mistake of underestimating the most unpredictable ninja, and would not be the last to do so.

Standing, albeit barely, in front of Sasuke was Naruto, senbon sticking out from numerous points on his body and bleeding liberally. Sasuke could only continue to stare in shock as Naruto coughed up a large amount of blood onto the bridge before he could speak.

Naruto looked over his shoulder and spoke to Sasuke, though it appeared it hurt to do so. "Get that surprised look off your face, you bastard." He wasn't used to seeing him with a look other then cold indifference or smug superiority.

"Why?" Was all Sasuke could say. He couldn't understand why Naruto would risk himself like this, even though he was just about to do the same for him.

"Why, you ask me why?" Thought Naruto as he remembered his interactions with Sasuke upon joining team seven. These could be his final moments so his last words should have a great meaning to them.

"At first I hated you," began Naruto. "You had everything I ever wanted. You had a family, even though you lost them at least you have memories of them. I've always been alone so I don't know the pain of your loss but neither do I know the joy of having a family. I do know what it's like to be alone. I thought maybe we could have been friends but you didn't want any. You had every girl you ever met throwing themselves at you while they act like I don't exist. I then decided if you didn't want a friend I'd be your rival. I trained my hardest to be as good as you but no matter how hard I tried I was always last and you were the best without even trying."

"You know what?" He asked. "Despite all that you are still the closest thing to a friend I have." Naruto took a moment to think about that. 'Sure there was the old man, but he was too busy running the village. Iruka-sensei only started opening up to me since the incident the day of the graduation exam and I've only just met Konohamaru. In my early days at the academy I had some fun with Kiba, Shikamaru and Choji but that didn't last.'

Feeling the last of his strength leaving him Naruto struggled to get out his final words. "I swore I wouldn't die until I became Hokage. Then again, what kind of Hokage would I be if I can't protect my friends? One last piece of advice. Somebody recently told me that a person can become strong when they are protecting someone precious to them. Even though I'm dying I feel stronger then ever right now since I did it to save you. Find your precious person Sasuke and become a strong Hokage since I couldn't."

With that final message Uzumaki Naruto collapsed in Sasuke's arms, and was no more. As Sasuke held Naruto all he could think about was Naruto calling him his only friend. Now his closest friend lay dead in his arms.

'He died to save me. He didn't do it because I'm the last loyal Uchiha or because it was his duty. He did it because I was his friend. He's my friend and he's now dead because of me. If I had been faster I could have saved him.' Were the thoughts running through Sasuke's mind. He would have time to reflect on the rest of Naruto's final words later as the sharingan gave him a perfect memory of them. For now all he could feel was the pain of another loss and a burning in his eyes.

While Naruto's final moments played out Haku was getting back on his feet. One of his opponents was dead, as he intended and the other was vulnerable. It wouldn't take much to set him off in a fit of anger and finish what he started.

"He struck one blow at me, and without any sign of shirking, he sacrificed himself for you! He was a shinobi of the utmost respect, who in order to protect someone he cared about, threw himself headlong into what he knew was a trap." Haku began, to taunt Sasuke into making a final, foolish attack.

"Is this the first time a comrade of yours has died? Such is a ninja's path." Finished Haku, now back on his feet and ready to end the fight. He let the mirrors melt so he could conserve his chakra or use the water for other techniques.

"Shut up!" Yelled Sasuke at Haku. "I'm going to kill you!" He screamed at Haku while glaring at him, his eyes now having changed from a newly developed sharingan to a pair of spinning, six-pointed stars. Whether Sasuke was aware of the change is unknown.

Haku just looked on at Sasuke, confident he would now be unfocused. Something wasn't right though. 'His eyes are different from before. They don't look like a normal sharingan. I should be careful. I'll play it safe just in case.'

Sasuke, almost out of chakra, suffering from numerous cuts, some of which were still bleeding and even with several senbon stuck in him refused to give up. He pulled out his remaining shuriken and threw them at Haku while readying a pair of kunai and charging forward. Haku evaded the shuriken with ease and brought up his senbon to parry Sasuke's kunai.

Like the start of their fight the two were now locked together, Haku's senbon holding back Sasuke's Kunai. When one struck the other would block. Sasuke hit hard and fast, not giving Haku time to use any one handed seals. Sasuke's sharingan also gave him an advantage as he could predict Haku's moves, but his own rage at Naruto's death was making his moves sloppy.

Finally Haku started to wear out and made an opening. Sasuke took full advantage and slashed at his throat, causing a large amount of water to pour out. 'Wait, water?' Was all Sasuke could think as Haku dissolved into a puddle of water. Then there was nothing but blackness.

ZzZzZzZ

Haku looked down at his fallen foe. After he noticed the strange new form of Sasuke's sharingan he replaced himself with a water clone and waited for the ideal time to strike. When Sasuke became distracted by his clone's demise he struck him from behind, knocking him out. It was a crude method but effective. Haku took one last look at Naruto's body.

"You really took my words to heart. It appears we shared the same ideals. If we had met under other circumstances we could have been friends. Who knows what could have become of you if someone like Master Zabuza had found you at a young age like he found me?" Spoke Haku to Naruto's lifeless body. He didn't like killing, especially someone so much like him but it was part of the shinobi lifestyle. "Now I should see if Master Zabuza needs assistance."

ZzZzZzZ

Zabuza in fact did need assistance, and a lot of it fast. Kakashi had felt the battle has lasted too long and prepared a trap. Using the blood he had shed to cover Zabuza and his sword he summoned his ninja-dogs, using the scent of the blood to determine Zabuza's location, to hold him down so he could prepare for the kill.

Charging up his signature attack, the Lightning Blade, Kakashi charged forward at Zabuza, ready to end his life, only to slip as senbon pierced his legs from behind. Kakashi fell to the ground, his attack cancelled lest he accidentally hurt himself with it in his fall.

"It's about time you got here." Zabuza called out to his apprentice. "I was worried you were going soft and were taking it easy on those brats."

Kakashi, struggling to get up looked back at where the attack had come from. While he had his sharingan active he was charging straight forward and was not expecting to be attacked from behind. With his vision locked on Zabuza he was prepared for anything he might do but was not ready for this. It would mean only one thing. His students had lost. That was his last thought as Haku threw a pair of senbon that pierced his neck, putting him in a near death state.

With their summoner gone Kakashi's nin-dogs disappeared, freeing Zabuza. He stretched out, a bit sore from where the dogs bit him or held him down but otherwise fine.

"The Uchiha awakened his sharingan, and it then changed into another form. That gave him an advantage so I had to proceed carefully." Haku replied to his master. He would inform him of the rest of the fight later to learn how to improve. A tool has to be well maintained after all if it is to be of any use.

"Hmm, that's odd, but we'll worry about it later. Right now we have a job to finish," said Zabuza. He then dispelled the mist, deciding it was a waste of chakra. It turned out to be a very good idea as it revealed more then just the two groups of ninja battling on the bridge. On the incomplete end of the bridge stood Gato and a large group of mercenaries.

"Gato, what are you doing here?" Zabuza asked of his employer. "Why did you bring all of them?" He further inquired, referring to the large number of mercenaries accompanying him.

Gato just stood in front of the mercenaries, leaning on a cane and looking smugly at Zabuza and Haku. Behind the two Mist ninjas Tazuna and Sakura were looking on in shock. Kakashi, Sasuke and Naruto were all unconscious and Gato was now here with a small army of mercenaries. Things were looking bad for them.

"There's been a slight change of plans Zabuza, or at least your plans anyway." Gato said to Zabuza. "This is what I had in mind all along. You're going to die "Demon," here and now."

"What?" Was all Zabuza could say. 'Is Gato an idiot? He didn't even wait until I killed the bridge builder. I guess he'd rather do it himself to set an example and just used me to deal with the ninjas Tazuna hired. He must have thought that bunch of mercenaries would be enough to finish me off.'

"You must have guessed. I never intended to pay you." Continued Gato, oblivious to his fate. "It's such a bother hiring a skilled ninja affiliated with one of the top ninja villages. It's expensive, and they tend to have friends who object when I betray and kill them."

"It's so much simpler to hire nuke-nin, renegades like yourself. No one cares what I do to you once the job is done. All of you ninja are so eager to fight each other. Once you've each other down, common thugs can finish off the rest. it's a great business plan, efficient and inexpensive."

"My only mistake was hiring you in the first place. Calling yourself the Demon of the Hidden Mist is just plain false advertising. You're no demon, more like a baby demon, if that." He finished, confident in his victory, not knowing he had moments to live.

Zabuza just turned to Haku, who had finished pilfering Kakashi's unconscious body for some basic supplies. He passed a soldier pill to Zabuza, having already had one.

"Haku, did Kakashi have any explosive tags on him?" Zabuza asked his apprentice after swallowing the pill.

"Yes, several actually." Haku replied while handing some to Zabuza, who took one and wrapped it around the handle of a kunai. He then threw it right at Gato where it embedded itself into his neck, killing him instantly. Before his body could even fall to the ground the explosive tag detonated, blowing up Gato's corpse and knocking the mercenaries next to him on the ground.

"Well Tazuna, considering my employer is now dead and I have no way of getting paid I won't be killing you today." Zabuza called out to the bridge builder, who was with Sakura as she cried over Sasuke and Naruto's bodies, not realizing the former was only unconscious.

Tazuna merely nodded back. After seeing Gato appear with his mercenaries he panicked, but remembering the type of person Gato was Tazuna guessed his next move and took a chance that Zabuza would no longer target him.

The mercenaries did not take the death of their employer well. With Gato dead they no longer had a source of income. Neither did Zabuza or Haku but they were already planning on raiding Gato's coffers.

"You ninja killed our meal ticket!" One of the mercenaries yelled out.

"Now you're going to die!"

"The only way we can break even now…"

"Is to loot the city and every business and home!"

"Oh yeah!" Called out several more.

"It looks like they are going to be trouble," said Zabuza. At this point he wasn't interested in wasting his time on flunkies. "Haku would you mind dealing with them?" He asked his apprentice, even though Haku would have taken it as an order and done so anyway.

"Yes sir." Haku replied, performing the seals for a technique. "Thousand flying water needles of death." He called out, using the water on the bridge for his attack. The needles tore into the mercenaries, incapacitating them with ease.

Zabuza calmly observed the attack. None of the mercenaries were dead, but they were out of commission. With that dealt with he turned back to Tazuna, noticing the villagers on the other end of the bridge.

"Haku, it's time to go. The people of Wave will deal with the mercenaries, and we should clear out Gato's funds before someone beats us to it." Zabuza said to Haku. The two then disappeared to collect their payment, however they could.

ZzZzZzZ

It was the night of the battle on the bridge. Sasuke had awoken and after a tearful reunion with Sakura had gone to check on Naruto's body. He needed to know for certain of Naruto's fate. He didn't want it to be true but in his mind there was no doubt that his team-mate was dead.

Naruto had numerous cuts from Haku's senbon, several of which were still embedded in him. He had lost a tremendous amount of blood, had no pulse and wasn't breathing. There was one last thing that convinced Sasuke that Naruto was truly dead. He now had the kaleidoscope mirror wheel eye, or mangekyou sharingan. The only way he could have obtained it was to kill his best friend. Seeing Naruto die in front of him and blame himself for it must have been close enough to achieve it.

Kakashi at least had a faint pulse and had been treated by one of the local doctors as best as they could. They estimated he awaken in the morning, and recover completely in a week. He was resting in Tazuna's house once more.

As for Sasuke and Sakura, they had a duty as ninjas of the Hidden Leaf to perform. To keep others from learning of their secrets they had to destroy Naruto's body. At first neither wanted to go through with it but they knew what might happen if they didn't. They did not want anyone to desecrate Naruto's remains just to gain an edge over the Hidden Leaf.

To that end they had dug a grave and erected a special rig that would allow them to cremate Naruto, or at least burn him beyond recognition and render his corpse useless to those who would try to plunder it's secrets. Then his remains would be lowered into the grave which would be filled. They had a simple cross to mark the gravesite, the only thing that would indicate it's existence.

Naruto himself was lying on the hastily built rig. The grave was lined with a blanket to cover what was left of his body once the pyre had burned out. They didn't have the time or money for a coffin so that would have to do. They took away his forehead protector to return to Iruka and his equipment since he no longer needed them. With their final preparations complete, Sasuke and Sakura said a prayer for Naruto and set the pyre ablaze.

Sakura left after that, not being able to maintain herself she ran back to Tazuna's house to cry herself to sleep. Sasuke remained to finish his task, eyes once again burning as he felt the mangekyou activating. He struggled to keep it from doing so as then he would never forget the scene, not that he would ever be able to do so.

ZzZzZzZ

It had been a week since the battle on the bridge. Kakashi had indeed awoken the next morning, but was unable to move. The first thing he did was inquire as to the aftermath of the battle. Tazuna informed him of Gato's betrayal and death to Kakashi's relief. Even if they defeated Zabuza as long as Gato was alive he would not allow the bridge to stand. If it was completed he would just find a way to have it destroyed. With his death Wave may just be free.

Kakashi was concerned that Zabuza and Haku had disappeared. Presumably they would be clearing out Gato's funds to cover their expenses. That would also mean anyone trying to assume command of Gato's company would have little resources to do so.

He was also relieved to learn Sasuke had survived, but was very concerned over Naruto's apparent death. He had a regeneration blood-line that accelerated his healing. The wounds he suffered and blood lost should have been healed and replenished in a few days. Kakashi didn't know for sure whether Naruto inherited it from Minato or Kushina as they both seemed to heal faster then normal.

Had he simply been attended and left to rest his vitals should have returned to normal overnight and he would have woken up after a nice long rest. Kakashi, as much as it hurt hoped Naruto really was dead because if he wasn't it would mean his team-mates burned and buried him alive.

At the current moment Kakashi was in front of Naruto's grave, the freshly dug dirt and cross the only signs of it's existence. He was praying for forgiveness while adding another name to the list of people he visited at the memorial stone. Once he was finished he returned to Tazuna's home. He would never reveal his suspicion's of Naruto's survival. The stigma of knowing he might have lived and was killed by his team-mates would traumatize them.

ZzZzZzZ

A week later Kakashi, Sasuke and Sakura were standing on the completed end of the bridge that connected Wave to Fire Country. Tazuna, Inari and Tsunami were also there to say goodbye.

"Thanks to you our bridge has finally been completed, but at a great price." Tazuna said to the Leaf ninja. The memory of Naruto's death was still fresh in their minds.

"Thank you for your hospitality, and your condolences." Replied Kakashi as he and his remaining students began their journey home.

"We still need to dedicate the bridge." Tazuna spoke to his daughter. "There's only one name that would fit."

"What are you going to call it?" Asked Tsunami.

"The Great Naruto Bridge." Replied Tazuna. "Naruto touched Inari's heart, and Inari touched the heart of all the people in our city. Naruto built the bridge that eventually carried us all to hope and courage!"

"It's a nice name dad. I'm sure Naruto would have loved that."

"Naming it in his honour is the least we could do after what he did for us. This bridge will stand as a memorial for Naruto and become famous the world over as a symbol of perseverance in the face of adversity. Everyone will hear about it and the boy it was named after, and no one will ever forget him."

ZzZzZzZ

Two weeks later, a wagon stopped at the border of Fire Country and Hot Spring Country, where a check-stop was posted. The driver pulled up to the stop to address the man running the station.

"I'm a merchant here on business." The man stated.

He was wearing a straw hat that covered his hair and eyes. His lower face was concealed by a scarf. The rest of his attire was standard merchant wear for the area.

"My nieces are with me, they are my assistants." He further explained.

Behind him in the wagon were two girls keeping an eye on their goods. One had long black hair, brown eyes, creamy, pale skin, and wore a pink kimono.

The other was wearing a green kimono jacket, with a red shirt, skirt and belt. She was more tanned then her apparent sister or possible cousin. Her most unique feature was her blue eyes whose pupils, in the right light, or lack of it, appeared to look like slits.

ZzZzZzZ

Author's Notes: Since this is my first published story I should inform my future readers of my style.

First, I do not like using Japanese words or honorifics. I'll be keeping them to a minimum. I personally hate reading a story in English only to see hai, gomen or other words like that scattered around. Hell, I've seen _full sentences _of Japanese used before without any translation. As for the honourifics, it's just that since I don't speak Japanese I'd rather not use them as I would most likely be using them wrong.

Second, I will not be using bolded text, or any other kind for summons or demon speak, techniques or thinking. I find it visually distracting.

Third, I will never do a harem fanfic. I might have several boys or girls vying for the attention of the protagonist. I might have said protagonist have more then one girlfriend or boyfriend. In the end though there will only be one partner for my hero. That's not to say every story needs a pairing, but I'd like to include one to some degree as it's something the original story lacks.

Fourth, and what could be considered rather controversial, is that I have nothing against yaoi other then the large number or Sasuke/Naruto fanfics and the small number of Naruto/Haku fanfics.

I know most of the people here are split on the issue. It appears the serious writers disapprove of it and the casual readers have no problem with it. I guess it would be like Family Guy or Chunin Exam Day in a way.

Fifth, I have about a dozen story ideas I might do someday. This is just the first one I came up with and it's my favourite of them.

As for the story itself, the idea was to write one where Zabuza and Haku survive the battle on the bridge, but instead of them joining Konoha like what happens in most fics Naruto joins them. I think it would be a challenge to find a realistic way for it to happen and I hope it goes well.

The title obviously refers to the Seven Swordsman of the Mist, but is also a reference to Blake's Seven. I think I used to watch it but I don't remember anything about it.

I already have a lot of the story planned out, including a pairing for Naruto, and it's a rare one. Don't worry, it's not a yaoi pairing. There won't be any yaoi pairings in _this_ story, but that isn't to say there won't be some jokes or hints of it.

As for Sasuke, his story will be told in Sasuke Gaiden, which I'll do when this story ends. It'll be Sasuke's side of this story and will depict what happens in Konoha. I'm going to do it later because I'd prefer to wait until Naruto's story is done before putting myself into Sasuke's mindset.

Finally, I know exactly how I want this story to end, or the last scene at least. Let's hope I make it to that point.


	2. The End Of One Life, Start Of Another

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto

Zabuza's Seven

Chapter 2: The end of One Life and The Start of Another

Pain was all Uzumaki Naruto could feel at the moment. He had several senbon sticking out of his body and numerous cuts that were leaking blood. The next thing he knew he was knocked to the ground by his team-mate to avoid another assault from his opponent, and he now felt the pain of hitting the concrete ground of the bridge.

As he struggled to get up he saw his opponent charging toward him and his team-mate rushing to stop him. Naruto, ignoring the pain running through his body summoned the last of his strength and threw himself in the line of fire and took the barrage of senbon head on, never wondering about who the attack was really meant for.

With the last of his strength gone, having been used up in that last desperate move the pain Naruto had overcome was back with a vengeance. His body was now riddled with senbon sticking out from every limb, his neck and torso. Struggling to breathe he coughed out a generous amount of blood. Knowing these would be his last moments he spoke his final words to his team-mate and began to let the sweet grip of death take away his pain.

He wouldn't feel the pain of his wounds, the pain of knowing he would never accomplish his dream of being Hokage, see his precious people again or that he had failed to protect them. After all the pain he would finally be at peace. Or so he thought. The pain of his old life was now almost gone. Soon he will know a new kind of pain.

ZzZzZzZ

It was the night after the battle on the bridge. Naruto lay on a funeral pyre suspended over a freshly dug grave lined with cloth. To his team-mates he was dead to the world but for a moment Uzumaki Naruto was slightly conscious.

'What happened, where am I, did I die?' For a brief time Naruto could form some coherent thoughts. 'I feel really sore. I can't move at all. If this is the afterlife it sucks. Then again I really don't know what I was expecting. Religion kind of conflicts with the ninja lifestyle.'

Obviously Naruto has never heard of Jashinism.

'At least it doesn't hurt anymore. I can rest now.'

That's when Sasuke and Sakura finished their prayers for Naruto to rest in peace and set the pyre ablaze.

Then the pain struck again. Naruto could no longer make a focused thought as the fire burned at his flesh. His skin and hair burned off, his orange jumpsuit turned to ash. All he could feel was a burning sensation spreading through his body.

Suddenly there was a feeling of warmth, unlike the fire it started from his belly and spread throughout the rest of him. Also, unlike the fire it felt good and took away the pain he felt. Then, once again he felt no more.

ZzZzZzZ

The sound of dripping water reverberated off the walls. Uzumaki Naruto lay in a shallow pool of water in what appeared to be a corridor lined with pipes. Some were rusty and leaking, others looked new and shiny. They appeared to have red water that flowed through them, all of it coming from one direction. There were also several doors, though where they lead was a mystery.

Naruto, having awoken pushed himself up and took stock of his surroundings. 'Now where am I? I've gone from being dead sore and unable to move to feeling like I was on fire, and now I'm soaking wet and it looks like I'm in a strange sewer. Maybe I was on fire and somebody sent me here to put it out? Nah, that can't be right. Still, I have no idea where I am so I should be careful.'

With that he began to look around while staying in his current spot. 'It looks like that strange red water is coming from deeper in here. Should I head for it's source or to wherever it's flowing towards?' Naruto pondered to himself. Deciding to investigate the source of the strange water he headed forward.

After some time he arrived at the source of the red water. Looming in front of him was an enormous set of steel bars, giving the appearance of a prison cell. A paper tag with 'seal' written on it was in the center of it. Naruto instantly knew there could only be one thing that would need a cell this large. The nine-tailed fox demon.

As if reading his thoughts a pair of giant, glowing red eyes appeared, followed by many sharp, grinning teeth. Naruto had come face to face with the source of all the suffering in his life, and ironically the only thing keeping him alive.

"So, my host finally came to visit me." The great demon bellowed out.

"You, you're the nine-tails," stammered Naruto. He just had a near death experience and was now standing before one of the strongest demons to ever walk the Earth.

Suddenly the fox sent one of it's arms through the gate, but the bars kept it from reaching Naruto. The fox growled and called out to Naruto.

"I'd like to devour you but the seal keeps me in place. Why don't you be a nice boy and tear it off. You don't have much longer to live anyway so let me put you out of your misery."

Naruto was panicking at first but seeing the seal keep the fox from getting to him helped him calm down. One thing about the fox's statement concerned him though.

"What do you mean I don't have much longer to live?" Yelled Naruto to the fox. Now that he knew the fox couldn't hurt him he found it easier to stand up to it.

"Isn't it obvious?" The fox asked. "You were beaten in battle, and in your vulnerable state your so called team took the opportunity to get rid of you once and for all. I'm sure you felt it, that burning sensation before you ended up here. They were burning you alive, making you suffer as much as they could before they left you to die."

Naruto was in shock. 'They wouldn't do that, would they?' He questioned himself. He looked back on his memories of being in team seven, and of his team-mates, looking for something to convince himself they wouldn't do something like this.

"Oh they would." The fox said as if reading Naruto's thoughts, which it might be able to. "You know the boy in the mask can put people in a near death state and so should your team-mates. After a good night of rest you would be fine, especially with how fast you heal. They just wanted you out of the way."

The fox took a moment to let that thought sink in. Naruto appeared to be considering what the fox was saying. 'Yes, that's it. I will fill you with so much despair you will beg me to kill you and end it. If I can't harm you through the seal physically I'll crush you emotionally. Then I shall gain my freedom.' The fox continued his malicious manipulations.

"I bet that pink haired girl is glad you're out of the way. Always making a fool of yourself trying to get her to go on a date with you in a pathetic attempt at gaining attention. Would you even know what to do if you were on one? I bet you'd just eat ramen in that disgusting manner and talk about how you're going to be Hokage someday so everyone will have to be nice to you. I'm sure she'll be much happier without you constantly irritating her."

The fox was now targeting Naruto's dreams. Being reminded that he will never become Hokage or get Sakura to like him was dragging Naruto deeper into a pit of despair.

"I can easily see through your act. You don't really like that girl. It's all just another way of gaining the attention you so desperately crave. Or is it because if you get her to like you instead of that, Uchiha" at this point the fox growled out Uchiha, the name obviously poison to him, " it'll be a way to prove you're better then him since you'll never be a stronger ninja."

Naruto actually considered the fox's words. 'He's right, Sakura will never go out with me if all I am is just a annoyance to her. I really don't know what I would do on a date anyway. Maybe I did only like her because she liked Sasuke and I wanted to prove I was better then him.'

Naruto was barely standing before, but now he was on his hands and knees, his earlier courage in facing the fox waning. The fox knew he was close to breaking him. He began to tear into Naruto's faults, and with them his will to live.

"As for your dream of being Hokage, didn't you say you wanted to be Hokage so everyone would respect you? Bah, who would respect a brat like you! All you do is play pranks on the people you want to like you and run around in that orange eyesore yelling how you're going to be Hokage. You don't want their respect, the way you act is proof of that. You'll never be respected if you don't show any yourself. You just want them to stop ignoring you."

All Naruto could focus on now was the fox's words. 'Is the fox right? Do I really want their respect for a selfish reason like that?'

The fox continued to torment his host, deriving a sinister form of pleasure from doing so.

"So tell me, what have you done to work towards that goal? Did you study hard and be a good student at the academy? No, you weren't any good at schoolwork so instead of trying harder you just called it boring, said a great Hokage doesn't need to know any of it and spent your time playing pranks. It seems to me you didn't want to admit you were bad at something and quit. What happened to that never give up attitude?"

Naruto was almost at the end now. 'What if the fox is right? If I had been a better student I wouldn't be the dead-last and I wouldn't be on team seven. I might have even passed the graduation exam the first time. Instead I spent my time playing pranks on the people who I want to respect me. The fox is right, he's…'

Suddenly Naruto's eyes shot open wide in revelation. Naruto, who was a second away from giving into the demon's urges and on his hands and knees, shaking in despair slowly began to rise.

'What was I thinking?' Naruto asked of himself. 'I was actually listening to the nine-tailed fox demon. It's because of him that I went through my suffering. If it wasn't for him I'd be treated like any other kid.' Naruto, his resolve restored stood upright and faced his literal inner demon.

"I'm not listening to you anymore!" He shouted to the fox. "If it wasn't for you I wouldn't have those problems! So if I'm going to die I'll do it with a smile on my face knowing I'm taking you with me!"

"You insignificant little whelp!" The fox roared. "Do you really think that if you die I will too? Let's test that theory, shall we?" At that point the fox began pushing more of it's chakra through the seal, not just through the pipes but into Naruto himself.

"What are you doing?" Naruto yelled questioningly. He could feel the fox's chakra flowing through him, coursing through his body and filling him with power.

"I'm giving you some of my power. If you can handle it you'll live and recover must faster. If not, it'll consume you from the inside out. Either way is fine with me." The fox answered. "Let's see what you are made of."

All Naruto could focus on was the fox's chakra flowing in and around him. He had to get it under control before it destroyed him. His will to live back in full, Naruto concentrated on pushing back the fox's chakra.

'This feels easy somehow. Like it's natural for me to do this.' Naruto thought of how simple it was to reign in the fox's chakra. 'I feel better too, like it's power is restoring my strength and increasing it too.'

Naruto focused everything he had on one last push and fought the fox's remaining chakra back at it's source. Then his vision went black and he collapsed, disappearing from his mindscape and the fox's influence.

ZzZzZzZ

It was the morning after Naruto's burial. All that was left to show of it was a cross over a patch of freshly dug dirt. Standing before it were two people. One was tall with dark hair and had a massive sword at his back. The other was shorter with long, black hair that matched his kimono, the closest thing to funeral attire he had.

Momochi Zabuza stood by his apprentice, or tool if you asked him. This had been the kind hearted Haku's first kill, and it was someone he had gotten to know. Although Haku had been trained to kill should he have to and learned to control his emotions Zabuza could tell he was not taking it well.

He hoped by bringing him to Naruto's grave it would give him some closure so he could move on. With the funds acquired from Gato they would soon be ready to join the Mist rebellion forces and stage another deathblow against Yagura. There was a possibility Haku would be forced to kill again, even though it didn't seem to fit him at all.

Zabuza stood silently, but inside he had several thoughts about the boy he was paying his respects too.

'I don't know much about you kid, but Haku seems to think you were one of the good ones, someone like us. You said your dream was to be Hokage right? Well mine is to be Mizukage so I can respect ambition like that.'

Zabuza then took a moment to remember the short battle he had with Naruto

'I've never seen anyone make as many shadow clones as you could so had the power. That trick you pulled with the windmill shuriken was clever too. I still don't know how you turned into one. You had a lot of potential. Too bad Kakashi was wasting it. You would have done well in Mist. I could have done a lot with someone like you.'

With that thought Zabuza turned away and waited for Haku to finish his prayers.

Haku was remembering when he first met Naruto. He had gotten up and put on a pink dress he liked. Should anyone meet him they would think he was a girl and underestimate him. It had nothing to do with how good he looked in it, nothing at all.

He then left to collect herbs to make a medicinal balm. In a clearing he saw a boy, sleeping soundly. Haku took a closer look and saw a forehead protector with a leaf engraved on it. Haku then realized this boy was one of the ninjas hired to guard the bridge builder. He reached down and placed one of his hands at the boy's neck.

'You'll catch your death of cold, sleeping on the ground. That was the first thing I said to you.' Thought Haku, reminiscing on the events of three days prior. 'You helped me collect the herbs I was looking for. When I asked what you were doing here you said were training so all the people in your village would respect you, and to prove yourself to a certain someone.'

Haku then took a moment to remember how he met his certain someone before he continued.

'I asked you if there was anyone special in your life. You seem confused by the question. I told you that when people protect something truly precious to them, they truly can become as strong as they must be. You understood that perfectly. I knew you would become strong.'

Haku was glad he met someone who knew where true strength came from. It was ironic Haku, who had the ice release blood-line limit and was born in Water Country could possess a belief so close to the Leaf's will of fire. Haku's next memory of Naruto was a bit more humorous.

'I walked away after that, but I wish I had stayed. I would have liked to have seen the look on your face when I told you I was a boy.'

Haku's thoughts grew darker after that, as his next, and only other memories of Naruto were the ones before his death.

'I remember when you appeared on the bridge and joined the battle. You scratched my mask and knocked me out of my mirror with a shuriken. You really earned that title of the most unpredictable ninja.'

Haku's final memory of Naruto was the most painful.

'Instead of attacking from the outside and forcing me to divide my attention you entered my dome of ice mirrors to save your team-mate. Despite your best efforts neither of you could get out. I tried my best to disable the two of you so I wouldn't have to kill you, but the Uchiha began to keep up with my attacks as he awakened his sharingan.'

Haku took a moment to breath and remain calm. He needed to do this. There would be deadly consequences if he lost his composure in the middle of a battle. If he couldn't make his peace with Naruto's memory now he may never do so.

'I knew then there was only one thing I could do to end the fight. If it was prolonged I might lose, and if I lost I would be of no use to master Zabuza. I had to take the Uchiha out of the fight, but his skill would make it difficult to do so. I decided to use you as bait. If I went to attack you the Uchiha would step in to protect you and I would disable him.'

He was almost there. All Haku had to do was relive this memory one more time and he would be relieved of the burden of his guilt.

'I didn't expect you to be able to get up, much less throw yourself into the line of fire. I should have known better of the most unpredictable ninja. You really took my words to heart. You found that inner strength and used it to save someone precious to you.'

This was it, with a few parting words Haku would be free of Naruto's memory and could move on.

'I'm sorry about what I did that day, but I did what I had to do. It was unfortunate we met as enemies. Under other circumstances we could have been friends, or more. Goodbye, Naruto.'

With that Haku also turned away. Looking toward his master, Zabuza's face unreadable under his wraps, Haku began to ask what they were going to do next when they felt an unbelievable pressure upon them. It was like the killing intent Zabuza would inflict upon his enemies, only much darker. Zabuza knew what it was as he had felt it before, in the presence of the man he wanted to kill.

"This feeling, it's demonic chakra, but where is it coming from?" Zabuza said as he looked around, trying to find the source. He was apparently asking the question to himself, but said it loud enough for Haku to hear.

Haku was frightened. If his master was right, and he had no doubt he was, then they might be in the presence of a demon. Zabuza was clearly alarmed by this possibility. Most wouldn't be able to tell by looking at him but Haku had spent enough time with him to be able to tell.

"There isn't anyone else around, we checked thoroughly before we came here. It's just us and Naruto's grave." Haku was trying to help answer Zabuza's question, even if it wasn't directed at him. Zabuza, after hearing Haku's response turned back toward him, and at Naruto's grave.

'There's no way, it can't be, can it?' Zabuza thought to himself. 'No, I'm sure of it. That feeling of demonic chakra, it's coming from the grave. Nothing that's dead would give off this feeling, unless…' Zabuza's thoughts trailed off there. He had a few ideas of what was happening in that grave, and hoped his worst fears weren't about to come true.

"Haku, stand back and get ready with one of those demonic chakra suppression tags we were saving for Yagura." Zabuza ordered to his apprentice.

Haku moved away from the grave and searched through a storage scroll he had on him. He found the correct tag and took it out. It was something they had acquired from a black market dealer and were saving it to use on Yagura the next time they fought to prevent him from using the three-tailed turtle's chakra.

He passed it to Zabuza who stepped in front of the grave and used an earth technique to move the dirt aside and push up the casket below, or in this case the blankets wrapped around Naruto and the boy himself. When the shroud was freed from the ground it was immediately blown away by the demonic chakra pulsing out of Naruto.

What they saw was a fiery red chakra, whirling around Naruto like a maelstrom. The intensity from it kept them from getting close.

'I was right, the demonic chakra was coming from the kid. Either he's still alive and using it to save him, or he's dying and the demon is trying to break free.'

Zabuza had confirmed the source of the demonic chakra, although he didn't seem too happy about it. Before he could plan his next move the chakra storm seemed to calm down as it slowly began to recede into Naruto. Seeing his chance he slapped the demonic chakra suppression tag onto Naruto's forehead. With it in place the remaining red chakra finally dissipated completely.

"Whew, that was close." Said Zabuza with a sigh of relief. 'I was not looking forward to fighting another demon. Not only that, since this kid's from Konoha that means that the demon sealed in him can only be the nine-tailed fox. What's with this kid? There's something not right here, there has to be more to him.'

His interest piqued, Zabuza knew what he had to do. He moved over to Naruto and examined his body. Haku stayed back, not comfortable with what just happened.

'That's odd.' Zabuza thought as he surveyed Naruto. 'I thought his team-mates cremated him, but his body's pristine. No hair though.' Naruto's body did in fact appear pristine, and even a bit pale compared to before. Also, there wasn't a trace of any blond hair on him. 'Not only that, his clothes are gone. There's plenty of ashes here so something burned. I doubt they just burned his hair and clothes.'

Zabuza took a moment to ponder what that could mean. 'There's only thing I can think of that makes sense. They did cremate him, and the fire consumed his hair, clothes, skin, maybe even some of the flesh. For his body to appear as it does now, so pristine and pale it must mean he had somehow healed at an astonishing rate. It could be a blood-line that did so, and it used the demonic chakra as energy.'

Zabuza then leaned in to check Naruto's neck for a pulse and was surprised to find one. Not only that, the whisker marks that used to be on his cheeks were gone. Zabuza turned back to Haku and called out to him.

"It's okay Haku, he's fine. He has a pulse, and he's breathing, just slowly. You can come over now if you want to see him."

Haku appeared overjoyed, his emotional control momentarily forgotten. He was nearly broken-hearted over having finally taken a life, and of someone so much like him. Knowing Naruto was okay came as a great relief for him. Haku rushed forward and stood by Zabuza's side, overlooking Naruto.

Naruto was breathing slowly, lying on top of a fireproof blanket. Haku carefully rewrapped Naruto in it to preserve his modesty, or possibly out of his own embarrassment.

"What do we do now?" Haku asked Zabuza. He was glad Naruto was alive, but wasn't sure what Zabuza intended to do next.

"We take him with us." Was Zabuza's reply. By the happy look on Haku's face Zabuza could tell that pleased him. "There's a lot about this kid that's a mystery, and I intend on finding it out. Not only that, but his potential is going to waste. I hope I can put him to as much use as I did you and Kimimaro."

With that, Zabuza carefully picked up Naruto and set him aside. Putting his hands to the ground and using another earth technique the dirt receded into the hole, and the grave looked as it did before. No one should know Naruto was not in it.

Zabuza then lifted Naruto up again and with Haku left to return to his hideout. If Konoha was willing to throw away a perfectly good tool, then Zabuza would be the one to polish it, make it shine and use it to strike down his enemies.


	3. Questions and Answers

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto

Zabuza's Seven

Chapter 3: Questions and Answers

In a forest on the outskirts of the primary settlement of Wave country was hidden a base among the trees. It was shaped like a cone and supported by one the many trees. Support cables held it in place, and a winding ramp led into it. This was the temporary hideout of Momochi Zabuza and Haku for their stay in Wave. With Gato's death it may even become a safe house for them.

They had spent their time after the battle on the bridge cleaning out Gato's coffers for whatever funds they could acquire. Now in the possession of his assets, including several deeds to properties around the elemental nations, a vast amount of funds and information on secret accounts they had the resources necessary to fund a deathblow against Yagura.

Their new acquisitions were scattered around the base. Between that and the supplies already here it was getting crowded. They would have to pack up and move out soon. Among the wealth and equipment there was one new acquirement that could be considerably more valuable if used right. That, was the apparently not dead Uzumaki Naruto.

The boy in question was currently asleep on one of the beds, having been attended to by Haku. His nerves were still raw and tender, presumably from having been forcibly re-grown at an accelerated rate after his so called cremation. Thus Zabuza had to be very careful moving him to this location. They were unable to redress him for this reason, as it would only inflict more pain on someone who has been through enough.

At the moment, Zabuza was discussing his plans for Naruto with Haku. They had just brought Naruto back and while Zabuza knew Haku would never question him and accept his every order he felt that in Naruto's case, letting Haku know of his intentions would help Haku be more at ease.

"Haku," began Zabuza, "what do you think of that boy?" He asked his apprentice.

Haku took moment to reflect on his memories of Naruto. Before they caused him pain, but finding Naruto alive filled him with a sense of relief. The only other time he felt so happy was when his master found him. At that point Haku knew Naruto was someone he could grow to love as well, like a brother.

"He knows what it means to be truly strong. He was willing to give his life to protect someone precious to him. I honestly feel if we had met him sooner he and I could have been friends, or like brothers."

Outwardly Zabzua didn't react to Haku's words. Inwardly he was pleased.

'I turned you and Kimimaro into my tools, your only purpose to serve me. You are my shield, the one who protects, and Kimimaro was another sword to strike down those who stood in my way.'

He had found Haku and Kimimaro in Water country. Both were young boys with bloodline limits that would make them quite strong someday. That was not the reason he took them in. It was the look in their eyes that told him they were just like him. Now, he recently saw that look again in Naruto's eyes when they fought.

'Although I made you two into strong shinobi, both of you gave up your own goals and desires in favour of my own, quite willingly too. Soon my dreams may come true. I hope that Naruto will be the one to help you two find new ones of your own.'

"I'm going to keep an eye on the Leaf ninja. Stay here and maintain vigil over Naruto." Said Zabuza, who, having given Haku his orders, left the hideout to ascertain the status of Naruto's soon to be former team.

ZzZzZzZ

Sitting perched in a treetop, Zabuza was observing the house belonging to Tazuna. He had been keeping watch for any signs of activity from the Leaf ninja. So far there was none.

'It looks like Kakashi is awake, but immobile. The other brats are fine, physically anyway. It seems they didn't take Naruto's supposed death well at all. I can't imagine how they would feel if the found out he was alive. Overjoyed certainly, until they remember they burned and buried him alive.'

Zabuza remembered the feeling of demonic chakra that enveloped him and Haku when they visited Naruto's grave. It was either a miracle they were there at the time, or maybe even fate itself.

'If Haku and I hadn't come to pay our final respects he would have either suffocated or been consumed entirely by the fox demon's chakra. Even worse, the demon might have been unleashed. I'm not even sure how he survived down there for as long as he did.'

'That brings up the main problem. Naruto's alive, but only because Haku and I were there. If his team finds out he's alive they would want him back, but they would also feel very remorseful for what they did to him. The negativity that was prevalent among them would disappear, and Kakashi would be sure to teach them properly to avoid a repeat of what happened here.'

It was clear in Zabuza's mind that after the events here in Wave, should Naruto rejoin his team, things would be much better with them. However, he recognized the potential in Naruto and knew that if the boy joined him Naruto would become great as well.

'On one hand, the kid owes his life to us. Then again, if it wasn't for us he might not have nearly died. I could really use someone like him, but the only way he'd follow me willingly is if he felt he was betrayed by his team and had no reason to return to the Hidden Leaf Village.'

For a moment, Zabuza considered seeking asylum in Konoha with Haku so they could give Naruto the help he needed. Unfortunately, they needed him to help liberate Mist as much as he needed their support to become a great ninja.

'I'm close to completing my ambition now. With the funds we liberated from Gato I can get in tough with the Mist rebellion forces and obtain the resources needed for the final attack against Yagura. I can't put that on hold for the sake of one child.'

Zabuza knew there was one simple way to turn Naruto into another invaluable tool. He could convince Naruto his team had thought him dead and abandoned him. He disregarded that right away. It would be a lie, although close to the truth. Should Naruto ever discover what really happened he would likely betray them. No, if Naruto was to join them, it would have to be of his own accord.

Zabuza sighed, and once more gazed at Tazuna's home. The bridge builder himself was completing his life's work. One of the remaining members of team seven would either go with him or stay and watch their sensei. There was no other activity.

'I've had enough of this. I need to know more about Naruto, and I'm not going to find anything out like this. I can't approach anyone here, but Haku can.'

With that Zabuza returned to the cone-shaped tree house to prepare for the next day.

ZzZzZzZ

It was just past nightfall now. Zabuza had just returned. Haku was watching Naruto as he rested. Zabuza, needing Haku to infiltrate the nearby village to gain information on Naruto's background made his way into the room where they kept Naruto.

It was the closest thing to an infirmary in the hideout. Using what medical knowledge he possessed, Haku set-up Naruto with an IV-drip. It would nourish his body until he woke up. When he would was unknown. As soon as Zabuza entered the room Haku turned away from Naruto to face his master.

"How is he?" Zabuza asked Haku.

"He seems fine physically. He had a slight fever, but I've taken care of that. I did notice his hair seems to be re-growing already." Replied Haku.

Indeed, there was a wet cloth on Naruto's forehead. He was laying on top of the bed, uncovered save for a towel placed on his midsection to preserve his modesty. Wisps of blond hair could be seen on his head.

"I don't know if he's alright mentally though." Continued Haku. "He was thrashing about earlier, and his rapid eye movement suggests he's dreaming. I think he's having nightmares. They seemed to have stopped for now."

That alarmed Zabuza. It could be a sign that the fox demon is torturing Naruto in his vulnerable state, trying to influence him or gain a stronger presence in his mind.

Since he needed Haku to infiltrate the village to learn about Naruto he would have to confirm what he already knew and suspected of the boy.

"Haku, I have something to show you, take a look at this." Zabuza addressed his apprentice while pulling away the towel around Naruto.

Haku was confused, to say the least. 'Why would he show me that?' He wondered. 'I thought that's why he took me to that brothel when I started going through puberty.'

Haku need not wonder much longer as Zabuza only uncovered Naruto's abdomen. Placing his hand on Naruto's stomach Zabuza channelled some chakra into it. At once a spiral appeared along with a mirrored set of four lines. This was the eight trigrams seal that imprisoned the nine-tailed fox demon within Naruto.

Haku looked surprised by the seal's appearance, but Zabuza showed no reaction. At this point it had been confirmed that Naruto was a power of human sacrifice, just like Yagura and Utakata, the host of the six-tailed slug.

"Haku, it's time I told you just what Naruto is." Zabuza said to Haku, who seemed relieved that all his master wanted to show him was Naruto's strange seal.

"Do you remember the feeling of dread we felt before unearthing Naruto, and the red chakra that swirled around him?" Zabuza asked Haku, who nodded in reply.

"That was pure killing intent backed by malevolent chakra. I've only felt something like that once, when I tried to kill Yagura, and he used the power of the three-tailed turtle to force me to flee."

Zabuza didn't like to remember his failure. That's why he had been preparing for a proper assassination of Yagura and co-ordinating in secret with the rest of the Mist resistance forces while acting the part of a missing-ninja.

Haku however was in shock. Knowing that terrible feeling that day was the malice of demonic chakra and that Naruto had a seal on him could only mean he had one of the tailed beasts sealed in him.

"I can tell by the look on your face you've realized that Naruto is a power of human sacrifice like Yagura." Said Zabuza, adressing Haku. "What's more is since he comes from the Hidden Leaf Village there is only one demon he could be the host of, the nine-tailed fox demon."

Now Haku's mind was filled with questions. Naruto, the boy he just met a few days ago but felt an instant connection to had the most powerful tailed beast sealed within him. What was Naruto's life like? Was it similar to his own? How did the people of the Leaf Village treat Naruto?

Unfortunately the only person who knew the answers to all those questions is in a coma. There might be another way to fight out though. Get the information from his team-mates.

Zabuza had been watching Haku closely to gauge his reaction to the revelation of Naruto being a demon host. He could what Haku was thinking, and it was the same thing he was.

"I can tell you have a lot of questions about Naruto, as do I. Since the only ones who might be able to answer them at the moment are his team-mates you'll have to ask them yourself."

Haku understood right away. "I see. They haven't seen my real face in combat. The Uchiha did once, but only briefly, so he might not even know I'm a boy. As long as I disguise my voice they shouldn't find out who I am."

Zabuza nodded in reply. "It's late now. You can begin your investigation in the morning. Why don't you rest for now. I'll watch Naruto."

With that Haku retired for the night to his quarters, planning what he intends to ask the leaf ninja about Naruto and what colour dress he should wear.

ZzZzZzZ

The next morning Haku had awoken early to leave for his current mission. He had settled on a nice black kimono. The pink one, while nice, he had worn recently. Also, the wearing the black one could be seen as a sign of mourning for Naruto. It was part of his plan for getting close to the leaf ninja.

Since the Uchiha knew he had met Naruto he could simply pass himself off as a girl who just wanted to know more about the boy who died to while trying to save Wave.

Haku began his investigation by listening to the chatter among the people of wave. Unfortunately none of them knew anything. There were several though who continued to pay respects to Naruto's grave.

With that a bust, Haku had only one source left. It was time to pay a visit to the leaf ninjas.

ZzZzZzZ

Inside Tazuna's house Tsunami was cleaning. Inari was upstairs, listening to Kakashi tell tales of ninja adventure. Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

'That's odd, I wasn't expecting any visitors. I hope nothing has happened.' Thought Tsunami.

The situation in Wave was now better then it had been in years. It would be terrible if things started going bad again. Tsunami answered the door, and was surprised to see a girl she had never seen before.

"Can I help you?" She asked the young girl.

"Hello, my name is Chisato." Replied Haku, using an alias, and a higher tone of voice. "A few days ago I met one of the leaf ninja who were hired to protect your father. I heard how he died, and I just paid my respects for him recently. I've come here to find his team-mates to learn about how he lived."

Tsunami was surprised to hear this girl had met Naruto, as he spent all his time training in the woods. She was also a bit suspicious, as she had never met the girl before. In a small village like Wave you knew everyone.

"How did you meet Naruto?" Tsunami asked Haku.

"I met him in the woods the day before he died. I was gathering medicinal herbs to help my uncle. He's a traveling merchant and we had been hired to smuggle goods into Wave. Our ship was attacked by Gato's men and he was injured. I've been looking after him since."

Tsunami seemed to buy Haku's story, as it was mostly true anyway.

"I'm sorry for what happened to you, and I hope your uncle gets well. It's unfortunate, but that kind of thing happened often. Hopefully it will be better from now on."

"Thank you for your condolences." Replied Haku.

"Why don't you come inside. I'll introduce you to Naruto's sensei. His team-mates are at the bridge with my father." Tsunami said to Haku, showing him the way to Kakashi's room.

"Thank you, I'd like that." Replied Haku, who followed Tsunami.

They made their way upstairs where Tsunami knocked on a door. Inari answered, who immediately began blushing after seeing Haku.

"Kakashi, this is Chisato. She said she met Naruto the day before he died and wanted to learn more about him."

Kakashi took a quick look at Haku and deemed him not to be a threat. Whether it was because Kakashi was still recovering and not at full mental capacity, or because he didn't think anyone as pretty as Haku could be dangerous was unknown. Then again, Haku had no intention of harming anyone so he really wasn't a threat.

"Sure, I was just telling Inari some stories about Naruto. Why don't you join us?" Kakashi asked Haku.

"Alright." Haku simply replied and sat down next to Inari, who was still trying to hold in his blush.

With that, Kakashi began his tale of Naruto's antics as a member of team seven.

ZzZzZzZ

The morning spent with Kakashi had been very enlightening. True, Kakashi couldn't reveal too much about Naruto as some details were sure to be secret. For a ninja though, looking underneath the underneath was part of the profession.

Kakashi told them about his first meeting with his team. Haku had learned of Naruto's love of ramen and his dream of being Hokage.

Kakashi's next tale was of team seven's bell test. Haku acted amused by Naruto's failure to beat Kakashi, but he was really surprised.

It seemed like Naruto had very little practical skills and wasn't very smart. Shouldn't he have been trained better? Aren't demon hosts trained to be living weapons? What kind of education did he have?

After that was team seven's official start as ninja of the leaf village. Kakashi described in great detail how his team did chores while he stood nearby reading.

Nothing interesting came up until they had returned Tora, the cat of the fire daimyo's wife to her. They were about to be assigned another d-rank mission when Naruto protested and insisted they get a c-rank, which they actually received.

Kakashi told them how they received the Wave mission and began to escort Tazuna back to his home. Along the way they fought the demon brothers. Kakashi told Haku and Inari how Naruto had froze up since it was his first fight and had been injured, and how Naruto declared his oath of pain to never run away again.

Haku found this intriguing. He knew of the demon brothers failure as they had escaped the bonds they were left in and reported back to Zabuza. After learning of their failure he sent them to Snow Country to meet up with Kimimaro. They were going to meet again in a border town in Fire Country.

Haku didn't pay much attention to Kakashi's explanation of their fight against Zabuza since he had been there. It was intriguing to hear about the fight from another point of view.

Kakashi then explained how he had his team perform a chakra control exercise. Naruto and Sasuke took a week to get it down. According to Kakashi, Naruto had a vast amount of untapped hidden power.

Inari spoke up next and told Haku how Naruto inspired him and made him believe in heroes again. Although he was sad for Naruto's loss he wasn't going to spend his time crying since Naruto wouldn't have wanted that. He was going to be strong like his father, and follow in his grandfather's footsteps.

Since the next part of the story, the battle on the bridge was well known Haku declined to hear it. Deciding he had heard enough for now he left Tazuna's home, but not before Tsunami invited him back for dinner to meet Naruto's team-mates. Haku accepted the invitation, then proceeded to return to Zabuza to inform his master of his discoveries.

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Zabuza was once more keeping vigil over Naruto. Earlier Haku had returned to inform him of what he had learned about Naruto. They had analyzed the information thoroughly to uncover what they could of the enigma that was Uzumaki Naruto. What they learned was conflicting. Zabuza was now pondering what he now knew about the boy.

'Naruto was the lowest ranked student in the leaf village's ninja academy, an orphan, loved ramen and the color orange, used to be a prankster, had a crush on his pink haired team-mate and hated the Uchiha.'

Zabuza wasn't too interested in his personal habits as much as his skills as a ninja, or lack thereof.

'On the other hand he has massive chakra reserves, not surprising considering he's a demon host. That alone gives his massive potential as a ninjutsu specialist. Yet it seems that he had no training to take advantage of this.'

In the Mist Village, you would not be able to even qualify for the graduation exam unless you could walk on water, due to the abundance of it.

'He should have been taught and performing chakra control exercises from a young age, but it seems he hadn't even heard of them before Kakashi showed him the tree climbing exercise.'

That just lowered Zabuza's opinion of the Hidden Leaf Village's training standards.

'Is it possible that no one was aware of his massive reserves and the need for special training? No, that's unlikely as his status as a demon host, which should have been well known given the fourth Hokage's defeat of the fox demon, would yield much larger reserves then normal.'

That took any positive thoughts Zabuza had about Naruto's soon to be former village and defenestrated them.

'That pisses me off to no end. Naruto is like a sword that was left out in the rain to rust and dull. I shudder to think what would have become of Haku or Kimimaro if I hadn't taken them in. At least Naruto had a home in the leaf village.'

Whether it was a good home or not remained to be seen.

'If I had found Naruto when he was as young as Haku and Kimimaro then Naruto could be my equal by now. I know the boy has the determination and great ambition. Why else would he want to become Hokage? Wait, why does he want to become Hokage?'

That was the question that was most prevalent in Zabuza's mind. Why would a twelve year old boy desire to rule so much, and where did he get the idea from?

'I guess I'll find out more when Haku gets back from his dinner with Naruto's team. Hopefully we'll get our answers then. If not, then we'll wait for Naruto to recover and get them from the source.'

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Author's Notes: I've decided to post this chapter, since I had it mostly written for some time. I was planning on waiting until the recent developments with Zabuza and Haku in the manga were developed more so I could use anything revealed in this story, but then I decided to screw it and do it anyway. If Kishimoto does change Haku to a girl, I'll still keep him a boy in this.

On that note, if anyone's interested in my portrayal of Haku, he'll be a cross-dressing metro-sexual who's very comfortable with his sexuality.

Defenestrated: Threw somebody or something out a window. English is a weird language considering we have a word for something like this.

How did no one notice I mentioned Kimimaro in chapter two? Well he gets more then a passing mention here.


	4. Empathy for a Demon

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto

Zabuza's Seven

Chapter 4: Empathy for a Demon

"Are you sure you can't come back? You'd always be welcome here."

This was the scene outside Tazuna's home. He and his family just finished their dinner, with team seven and another guest. As far as anyone knew, it was a young girl who met Naruto and wanted to know more about him.

"No thanks, I really need to get back to my uncle. He must be getting worried about me."

The first question came from Tazuna's daughter, Tsunami. The reply was from a girl who identified herself as Chisato.

"Alright then," Tsunami answered, "but why don't you have Sasuke escort you home? Even with Gato gone, it still might not be safe out. Besides, it's just common courtesy to escort a lady home."

Sasuke grunted in response, not liking what he was being volunteered for.

'At least she's not fangirling over me. She's the first girl I've met who hasn't. I guess she and Naruto hit it off. Too bad he died the day after he met her.' Sasuke thought regarding the situation.

"Umm, no thank you, I'll be fine. I'm tougher then I look. I'm sure I'll be okay." Chisato said, a bit nervous.

"Nonsense, I wouldn't feel right if something did happen to you. Besides, these ninja were hired as bodyguards, so that's what they'll do." Tsunami said insistently.

"Actually, I hired them to protect me." Tazuna spoke up, but was ignored.

"It'll be fine. Go ahead and walk her home Sasuke." Kakashi ordered his student.

"Hn." Sasuke grunted, still not too pleased with the order.

"Alright, I suppose it'll be okay." Chisato said, acquiescing to the escort.

Sakura, realizing that Sasuke would now be alone with a beautiful girl, suddenly spoke up.

"I'll go too. You never know what might happen. You could need back-up."

Inwardly, everyone was rolling their eyes, knowing exactly why Sakura wanted to accompany Sasuke and Chisato. Whether she was still in a fangirl stage, or simply wanted to stay close to her remaining team-mate was unknown.

"Okay, we should be on our way now. Thank you again for the lovely dinner, and good-bye."

Chisato bowed in thanks, then walked away with her impromptu escorts.

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Haku currently had mixed emotions regarding his current situation. He had just ate a lovely, home cooked meal with the bridge builder's family and the rest of team seven. It was the best meal he had in quite some time. Now he was headed back for Zabuza's secret base.

Unfortunately he now had company. Tsunami had insisted that Sasuke escort "her" home, and it would look too suspicious to refuse. Not only that, but Sakura insisted on joining them.

'I should have just told them I was a boy. Then she might not be so jealous. Then again, I've gone to some hard lengths to prove my real gender.'

Just what exactly Haku has done to prove his masculinity, or rather his true gender, is better left unknown. Suffice it to say, he has quite indeed gone to really _hard lengths _to do so.

'At least master Zabuza will be waiting for me near the hideout, so I won't have to reveal it's actual location.'

They agreed to meet up nearby, in case Haku was followed back.

'I bet it would be funny to see me walking with two of the Leaf ninja. That would make them pretty bad trackers.'

The best tracker on team seven is actually Naruto. With his shadow clones, transformation and stealth skills, he would be best suited for it. Too bad no one has picked up on that, yet.

'Hmm, now that I think about it, Naruto would make a good tracker. I wonder what else he could do? So much untapped potential, all gone to waste. I hope we can convince him to join us. The Leaf Village doesn't deserve him.'

Haku was now lost in thoughts concerning Naruto. He almost did not notice when Sakura, who had been trying to keep Sasuke's attention on her, asked him a question.

"So, how long will you and your uncle be staying in Wave Country?"

Haku was quick to answer, as he had been the rest of the evening. He gave the Leaf ninja and Tazuna's family a slightly altered story of his past, so was technically not lying to them. While he was there, he also learned much of Naruto's past, or at least what his team-mates knew of him.

"Just until my uncle's convalescence is over. We shouldn't be here too much longer."

Sakura seemed pleased by that.

"Oh, well if you want to come by again just come to Mr. Tazuna's house in the evenings. We guard him during the day while he's working on the bridge. It would be nice to have another girl to hang out with."

Haku could tell why Sakura really wanted him to come by.

'It seems she's accepted I'm no threat to any possible relationship she may have with the Uchiha. That seems to make her genuinely interested in a friendship with me. Given her rivalry with the Uchiha's other admirers alienated her from her female friends, and the loss of her own admirer, she must want to try to make more.'

Too bad Haku had no sympathy for her.

'It's her own fault she has no friends. She's the one who chose to pursue a boy who has absolutely no interest in companionship over a strong friendship. Not only that, but she constantly spurned the affections of someone who had been giving her the attention she obviously craves. What is wrong with her?'

Haku cleared his throat, calmed himself, and replied to Sakura.

"No thanks, I need to keep watch over my uncle. I've been gone from his side for too long today already."

Sakura was disappointed by that.

"Oh, okay, then."

Sakura looked despondent for a moment, then slowly began another one-sided conversation with Sasuke.

'She must be bi-polar, to be able to switch moods like that. What did Naruto ever see in her?' Haku thought of Sakura.

Having decided he definitely did not like her, and never would, Haku turned his thoughts to Naruto's other team-mate.

'From what I've learned, Naruto thought of him as a rival, but the Uchiha saw him as nothing but an annoyance, much like his fangirls. They're both alone, but where Naruto is alone by circumstance, the Uchiha is alone by choice.'

Even Haku had heard of the Uchiha massacre, and knew of Uchiha Itachi from Zabuza's bingo book.

'He has, and had everything Naruto, or even I, could have wanted. Yet, instead of accepting the affections he's given, he spurns them in favour of pursuing his vengeance. That will only lead to his death one day.'

Haku, from experience, knew what Sasuke's fate would be if he continued his path of self-destruction.

'If Sasuke does kill Itachi, then Itachi's allies will kill him. Then Sasuke's friends, if he still has any, will avenge him. The cycle will just continue endlessly. The only way to end it would be either kill everyone ever connected with Itachi, and spend the rest of his life seeking them out, or forgive Itachi, and move on with his life.'

What path Sasuke took was no concern to Haku. One thing was sure though. With Sasuke's determination, obsessive as it was, he would either go far, or die trying.

'Then there's Naruto's former sensei. I've never seen someone so apathetic before in my life. He's supposed to be the son of the White Fang and the only surviving student of the Yellow Flash, yet master Zabuza and I could have killed him easily. The only reason we did not do so was to avoid incurring the Leaf Village's wrath.'

It would not be good for them to have another village out for their blood, though it was unlikely Kakashi would forget his defeat anytime soon. Actually, thanks to the sharingan, it was impossible.

'I suppose he can be forgiven for expecting better of his students since he was a jonin at their age, and it is his first time being a sensei. Still, given Naruto's condition, and his potential, I can't forgive him or anyone from the Leaf Village for letting it go to waste.'

The idea that Naruto was the one wasting his talents never occurred to Haku, who began to gather his thoughts of Naruto's former team.

'Overall, the Uchiha is not as bad as I thought he would be. He's hardly spoken at all, so I can't tell if he is as arrogant as I imagined. Naruto's death must have affected him more then he's letting on.'

Sasuke had been brooding the entire time, even more so for him. Sakura was trying her best to cheer him up, with no success.

'The girl is what I expected her to be. She is pretty shallow, and not concerned with her training at all. If she was able to became a ninja, the Leaf Village must have very low standards.'

Haku obviously did not like Sakura at all.

'Hatake is aloof to the point of annoyance. From what I could tell, his students disapprove of his tardiness, choices of literature, and how he always wears a mask.'

If Haku had seen Kakashi without his mask, he might understand his need for it.

'He didn't even take it off while eating! No one even noticed him clear his plate. At least master Zabuza takes off his wraps while eating. I've seen his handsome face, I bet the Leaf ninja can't say the same thing about Hatake.'

Had Naruto remained in the Leaf Village, a father and daughter duo at a ramen stand would be able to do so.

'That brings me to the big problem. As much as I dislike them for their past treatment of Naruto, should he rejoin them, they might improve and treat him better. Still, that would not change the opinions of the rest of the village.'

Nothing short of saving the village from destruction would instantly change the Leaf Village's opinion of Naruto overnight.

'There is no guarantee that if he does return to them, that they will change for the better and remain so. However, if Naruto does join us, we would definitely give him the companionship and training he needs.'

Between Zabuza's tutelage and his and Kimimaro's friendship, Haku was sure that Naruto would do well as part of their team.

'Not only that, but we haven't done anything to hurt him in the past. Aside from almost killing him, that is.'

Naruto is the kind of guy who would forgive someone for that anyway.

'I've decided now. I will do whatever it takes to convince Naruto that his place is with us now. His dark past in the Leaf Village is over now. His bright future with us, and someday the Mist Village, will begin soon.'

Having made up his mind concerning whether to keep Naruto or let him go, Haku happily smiled for the first time since leaving Tazuna's home. Looking forward, he saw Zabuza, in disguise, approaching them from a distance.

The former swordsman was now dressed in merchant's wear. That is to say, baggy, dark coloured clothes with many pockets and a large coat. He did not wear his face wraps, but had a straw hat covering his hair and downcast over his face, keeping anyone from looking into his eyes.

The Leaf genin soon noticed Zabuza, as he was not trying to conceal his presence. It would be suspicious for a merchant to hide from trained ninja, even inexperienced ninja.

"Oh, hello uncle Sano." Haku called out to Zabuza, using his alias.

"Hello Chisato," Zabuza replied, "who are your friends?"

Sasuke and Sakura stood beside Haku now, trying, and failing, to get a good look at Zabuza.

"They are the Leaf ninja who are guarding Mr. Tazuna as he finishes construction of the bridge. They escorted me back in case of any danger" Haku answered.

Zabuza nodded in reply before responding.

"Alright then, thanks for watching my niece. Come along now Chisato."

Haku walked forward, then bowed slightly to Sasuke and Sakura.

"Thank you for accompanying me back. I'll be fine now with my uncle to take me the rest of the way."

Sasuke grunted back. Sakura let out a mild sigh at Sasuke's lack of speech, then addressed Haku.

"You're welcome Chisato. It was nice meeting you, good-bye."

Sasuke then turned away, and quickly set a fast pace back to Tazuna's residence. Sakura followed as best as she could.

"Farewell." Haku called out to them.

"And Good Riddance." He muttered under his breath.

With the Leaf ninja gone, Zabuza and Haku left for their hide-out in silence. Haku would inform Zabuza of what he learned once they were back.

ZzZzZzZ

Back in the safety of their base, Haku and Zabuza began to discuss the new knowledge they had of their patient.

"So, what else did you learn tonight?" Zabuza asked Haku.

Haku sighed, which Zabuza correctly assumed meant that what Haku learned was not pleasant.

"Simply put, from my observations of Naruto's former team, and the details of his past they revealed to me, I can honestly say that I hate them."

Zabuza was quite taken aback by that. From the ill concealed look of disgust and dislike on Haku's face, which did not look good on him, he was telling the truth.

'I've only ever seen Haku that angry when someone threatened me. To think, he already considers Naruto to be as important to him as I am.'

Zabuza cleared his throat, getting Haku's attention.

"What exactly drew you to that conclusion?"

Haku switched himself into "rant mode."

"First, his former sensei is aloof, apathetic toward teaching, and openly perverted. If it wasn't for the danger level of this mission, I doubt he would have shown them the chakra exercise they performed for quite some time."

Zabuza agreed with that.

"I concur. I was not impressed by Hatake's performance, or the skill level of his students. They should have been more experienced. Then again, I do have higher standards for those under my command."

Having heard Zabuza's opinion of his reasons for disliking Kakashi, continued his rant.

"Not only that, but I can't stand his team-mates. The girl is utterly shallow. She's only concerned with her looks, and is obsessed with the Uchiha."

Haku looked like he going to pull his long, silky hair out. He began pacing around the room to calm down.

'Didn't Naruto have a crush on that girl?' Zabuza thought to himself. 'Could Haku merely be indignant on behalf of Naruto for the girl's treatment of him? If so, Haku's become quite empathic with him.'

While Haku was a kind and gentle soul, who would never hurt anyone unless he had no choice, the boy now looked like he was planning on assassinating most of the Leaf Village. Not that he would ever do such a thing. Zabuza on the other hand…

"What about the Uchiha? How bad is he?" The swordsman in question, well, questioned Haku.

"He's one of the worst people I have ever met! Sure, he lost almost his entire family, but at least he had one! Now, instead of being thankful he's alive, he's trying to kill himself by seeking out strong opponents to 'test' himself against."

Haku was now yelling in anger.

'I've never seen him act like this before. Hmm, Naruto was such a happy, energetic kid, but it seems like his life was very rough. Could Haku have developed a bond with Naruto so strong in such a short time that he's expressing all the anger Naruto has suppressed?'

Zabuza was no psychologist, but his assumption seemed accurate. Meanwhile, Haku was continuing his outbursts.

"Not only that, but he has just about every girl in the village throwing themselves at him, and he brushes them off like they're nothing to him! People try to be nice to him, and want to be his friend, but he just acts like a smug bastard the whole time!"

Zabuza decided he heard enough, and knew he had to step in.

"Haku," Zabuza said while grabbing onto the boy's shoulders and holding him in place. "Calm down, this isn't like you."

Haku breathed deeply for a few seconds, then began breaking down. Throwing his arms around Zabuza, he began to cry.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Haku said through choked sobs, "I don't know what came over me."

Zabuza continued to hold Haku until he calmed down, glad no one was around to see them. It would hurt his image. After some time, Haku had relaxed.

The boy took a seat while Zabuza leaned against a wall, opting to put some distance between himself and Haku after his uncharacteristic comforting of his apprentice. Soon, Haku spoke up.

"What happened to me?" Haku asked Zabuza.

"As near as I can tell, you've developed some kind of empathic bond with Naruto. You feel what he does. That outburst just now must have been caused by the pent up rage in Naruto. Your sudden mood swing from anger to sadness could be attributed to it as well"

Haku accepted Zabuza's explanation.

"So, what I felt was Naruto's own anger towards his sensei for not instructing him, the girl he liked for spurning his affections, and the Uchiha for rejecting his friendship?" Haku asked, and partially stated, to Zabuza.

Zabuza nodded back.

"Also, when I started crying, I remembered how the bridge builder's grandson told me that Naruto didn't cry, no matter had rough his life had been. I must have been expressing the sadness he kept to himself as well." Haku explained further.

"Yes, that sounds right. For now, it might be best if you let me keep an eye on Naruto. Don't interact with the Leaf ninja either. This will just be until we've figured out what caused this." Zabuza instructed.

Haku was disappointed he would have to avoid Naruto from now on.

'I won't be able to help him recover, not that there is much that can be done now. I suppose it's for the best.'

"What should I do until then?" Haku asked his master.

Zabuza put his hand to his chin in a thinking pose. After a few moments, he gave Haku his new orders.

"We still need the supplies we commandeered from Gato sorted. It would be best to wait until Naruto wakes up so he can help us with his shadow clones. Otherwise it will take us quite some time to do so."

Zabuza and Haku not only pilfered Gato's coffers for all his funds, but drove away his workers and stole all the goods his ships were carrying.

"However, he might awaken faster if we had better medical supplies. Try to find something that might wake him up. You can wait until morning to start though. You'll need all the energy you can get."

Haku accepted his new mission, and the order to rest.

'I feel too emotionally drained anyway. Tomorrow I'll start looking through the shipyards and try to find all the medical aid I can.'

"What about the people of Wave? Should we share anything with them?" Haku asked Zabuza.

"That might be a good idea. We're already on their bad side for trying to kill Tazuna, but killing Gato may have got them over that. Still, if we offered them some of the medicine and money we liberated from Gato, that would go a long way towards making them an ally in the future."

Haku's mood perked up now. Helping people always did that for him.

"Still, we've got a lot of work ahead of us. We can either keep most of it to ourselves and give up what we don't need, or we can work with the people of Wave, and hopefully count on them for help with the Mist's rebellion." Zabuza explained to Haku.

The two pondered their situation for a moment. Zabuza considered the political benefits of an alliance with Wave Country.

'If we help with Wave's restoration, it'll help my reputation. Not only that, It'll be a good way to work on how I'm going to help restore the Hidden Mist Village and Water Country. Once the rebellion is over, and both countries are stable, we'd be able to forge a trading alliance that would be very profitable for both nations.'

Haku was thinking along different lines.

'The people here have been suffering for so long. If we can help them, we should do so.'

Zabuza looked down at his first apprentice, and could tell what he was thinking by the look in his eyes.

"Alright, we'll wait until the Leaf ninja have left, then contact Tazuna about making some deals. The long term benefits are definitely worth it. Until then, keep searching for medical supplies. Keep what you think will help Naruto, and anything ninja-related, if there is anything like that. Give the rest to the villagers."

Haku was glad they would be helping the people of Wave Country, they needed it.

"I have one question though. Why would we wait until the Leaf ninja leave to contact Tazuna? Wouldn't he be more comfortable, thus more willing to negotiate with us, having them around?" Haku asked Zabuza.

"Could you stand to be in the same room as them?" Zabuza asked back in reply.

"No." Was Haku's simple response.

While having dinner with Tazuna's family and team seven, Haku learned that Sasuke was rookie of the year. That meant that Sasuke, who Haku beat with ease, could be the best to expect from the Leaf Village.

"If their team was any indication of the Hidden Leaf Village's standards, I'd rather have nothing to do with them at all."

That statement was made by Haku, but the sentiment was shared by Zabuza, for the most part.

"I agree with you on that. Don't forget though, Naruto's situation most likely makes him the exception, not the norm. Had he not been the host of the nine-tailed fox demon, he might have been treated like a normal person. Who knows what his life would have been like."

There was no point in wondering "what if?" Zabuza and Haku had both learned that the hard way.

After an uncomfortable silence, Zabuza spoke up.

"Alright, it's late now, and we have a lot to do tomorrow. Get some rest. I'll keep watch over Naruto. I'll let you know if there's any changes in his condition."

Zabuza then returned to the infirmary to check on Naruto. Haku, emotionally drained, retired to his quarters for the night. Before going to sleep, he swore he would do whatever it takes to help Naruto recuperate, and give him a better future.

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Author's Notes: I hope it didn't look like I was bashing team seven here. From the point of view of someone who emphasizes with Naruto though, it's hard to keep them in a good light.

Haku's current empathy toward Naruto isn't the result of anything serious or sinister. It's just the start of his new relationship with Naruto. I'm going to make him seem like an overprotective big brother from now on.

Just to let you know, I'm somewhat inspired in this story by "Reflection of Demons" and the one-shot it was based off, "Mirrors." Both are in my favourites.

Another good story with Naruto travelling with Zabuza and Haku is "Naruto: Demon's Path." It's also in my favourites.

For good Mist Naruto stories, there's "The Yellow Flash of Kiri", another of my favourites, and Mizukage, by dragon6, which is the one of the highest reviewed Naruto fanfics.


	5. The Bond Of Brothers

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto

Zabuza's Seven

Chapter 5: The Bond of Brothers

It was six days since Haku, using the alias Chisato, had dinner with Tazuna's family and the remnants of team seven. There he learned more of Naruto's past, and what his former team-mates were like. Nothing he discovered pleased him.

In the short time Haku had spent with Naruto, he had grown quite sympathetic towards him. When he found out how his so called team-mates treated him, Haku expressed more rage in a short moment then he had in his entire life.

Zabuza was able to calm him down, only for Haku to break down emotionally and convey more sadness then he ever felt in his own hard life. Never before had Haku cried as much as he did then.

It was theorized by Zabuza that Haku developed an empathic bond with Naruto, most likely based on their similar pasts. Zabuza advised Haku to avoid the Leaf ninja, as they were a source of Naruto's problems, and Naruto himself.

To that end, Haku was ordered to investigate Gato's shipyards to procure any medical equipment to aid in Naruto's recovery. Any extra medical supplies were to be anonymously distributed to the people of Wave Country.

Haku, loyal to a fault, followed his orders without question. Exhaustively searching Gato's former empire, he procured anything and everything that might help Naruto awaken. The poor boy burned himself out in his search.

After a couple days, Zabuza took notice of this, and had Haku return to Naruto's side. His apprentice seemed more at peace watching Naruto, and did not have anymore emotional episodes.

Otherwise, Naruto showed no signs of improvement. While his life signs were stable, he continued to thrash about in his unconscious state. It was unclear whether this was a sign of improvement or not.

Zabuza surmised his nightmares were getting worse, and had Haku maintain a constant vigil over him. Strangely enough, Naruto became calm in his presence. Whatever Haku was doing to help Naruto, it was working.

Although he would admit it to Zabuza, Haku was always talking to Naruto, in the hopes his voice would be heard. It seemed to work, as Naruto remained still around him.

Haku would speak to Naruto of his past. He went into detail of his life before meeting Zabuza and his travels with his new master and Kimimaro. When the story caught up to the present day, Haku began speculating what their future would be like, and that he hoped Naruto would be a part of it.

At the moment, Haku was dressed in his pink kimono. He hoped Naruto would recognize him in it. Still feeling guilty for almost killing Naruto, Haku wanted to keep his mind at peace. Hopefully, when Naruto would first see him upon awakening, he would think of the day they met in the woods, and not the day he almost died.

Looking down at Naruto, Haku hoped that he was okay. Naruto's temperature was still running a bit high, so Haku had been using his bloodline to regulate Naruto's temperature.

Keeping a bucket of water nearby, Haku used his ability to control it to cool it down, and let it flow over Naruto, who still only had a towel preserving his modesty.

Maintaining a steady temperature for Naruto with the water was a unique challenge for Haku, as he had to split his focus over controlling the liquid, while holding a one-sided conversation with Naruto.

In a short amount of time, he was able to do both with ease, controlling the water almost subconsciously. Haku made of note of it, since it may have use as a control exercise.

Now that he was able to focus his attention entirely on speaking to Naruto, Haku began to converse with him again.

"I hope you wake up soon. I know I've said it countless times, but I want you to so badly."

Haku was not crying, but anyone who could hear him knew it was only his emotional control he learned as a ninja keeping him from doing so.

"I'm so sorry. If it wasn't for me this wouldn't have happened to you. If you wake up I promise I'll do anything to make up for it. So please, wake up."

Haku's control was slipping. Not over the water technique, which he excelled at, but he was beginning to lose control of the tears he was holding back.

"I've only known you a short time, but I know if we had met under different circumstances, we could have been close. Whether it would be as friends or brothers, I know we would have been happy and our lives would have been better"

Right now, Haku was sure he was beginning to love Naruto as a brother, and nothing more.

"I told you that I knew one day you would become strong. Well, I saw your strength the day we fought on the bridge. You are strong, you proved that when you sacrificed yourself to save your team-mate. I know you're strong enough to overcome whatever demons are plaguing you, so please, wake up."

That was the moment when Haku finally lost his control, and began to weep for Naruto. The tears which were being held back began pouring out like a flood. Haku's eyes began reddening, so he closed them. Had he kept them open, he would have noticed Naruto's were starting to do just that.

ZzZzZzZ

Darkness, that's all that surrounded him. As soon as Naruto managed to suppress the nine-tailed fox demon's malicious chakra, that was the first thing he experienced. Soon, the torturous nightmares began.

It started with a vision of an eight-year old Naruto asking out an eight-year old Sakura on a date. Every vision ended the same way. The young Naruto would be violently rejected every time.

The present day Naruto was forced to watch this happen from an outsider's perspective, unable to do anything to change the outcome. He was forced to watch as the girl he pined for endlessly break his heart countless times.

At first it was just the three of them. The younger Naruto and Sakura, with the elder Naruto watching them. As time went by, more people starting to witness each rejection.

They would be random civilians from the Hidden Leaf Village, Naruto's classmates from the academy, and even his instructors. Nothing hurt him more then seeing Sakura reject him, and Iruka laugh in his face over it.

Soon even Teuchi, Ayame, and the Third Hokage were with Iruka, having a good laugh at Naruto's expense. The people Naruto considered to be the most precious to him were now using his suffering to make themselves feel better.

Unexpectedly, Naruto was shown a vision of himself as an adult. He would try to ask a girl on a date, only for her to laugh in his face and walk away. Naruto wondered why he was not trying to ask out Sakura, but soon received an answer. He saw her with Sasuke, and many children with pink and black hair. The sight of them together crushed his heart.

When the visions of Sakura's constant rejections grew old, they switched to a vision of a young Sasuke and Naruto.

The younger Naruto would try to earn young Sasuke's friendship, only to be brushed aside every time. Soon young Naruto challenged young Sasuke to a fight, in order to get the boy to acknowledge his skills.

It was a disaster. Young Sasuke would beat young Naruto every time. Each fight ended in an increasingly painful and humiliating loss that made Kakashi's "thousand years of death" seem pleasant.

As before, the number of witnesses grew with each vision. Naruto watched himself be brutally beaten while his so called friends sat back and enjoyed the show. No one ever helped him, even as he was almost on death's door.

Just like the visions of Naruto being rejected by Sakura ended with a look into his future, so did the vision of Sasuke's constant rejections of his friendship and beatings at his hand.

Naruto saw his adult self, all alone. He was in a wheelchair in a private care facility. The constant harm from his fights with Sasuke took a toll on his body and left him paralyzed. Having never tried to make any other friends, Naruto never received a visitor.

Eventually, those visions ended as well, but more took their place. An orange clad boy would play pranks for attention on the populace. Naruto could not face his younger self in those visions without his eyes filled with pain, almost as if his choice of attire was a literal eyesore.

Naruto had not pulled a prank since becoming a genin, but it did not matter. He was bombarded by visions of an older Naruto, who no one took seriously or respected. All anyone saw in him was the young prankster who was a constant annoyance in their lives.

The current vision was of Naruto's academy years. Naruto witnessed his younger self reading a history book, only to throw it away in disinterest. While his classmates studied, the young Naruto spent his time planning his next prank.

The next day there was a history test. Those who passed were taken outside and shown how to perform the clone technique, with in depth detail. Those who failed remained behind, cleaning the classroom.

The young Naruto was the only one who failed. While his classmates were learning a valuable skill, Naruto was left behind, all alone.

The vision changed to one of an adult Naruto. Having failed as a ninja due to his poor skills, he was forced to work as a labourer. Due to his failings in the civilian schools, not to mention the time he lost in the ninja academy and his brief career as one, he was far behind and could not catch up.

The adult Naruto bounced from one job to the next, unable to focus on a given task for long. His chakra was sealed, so he could not use his shadow clones to accelerate his tasks, not that anyone trusted him with anything important.

Naruto was nearing the end of his rope. The visions he was forced to watch were breaking down his will to live. Soon, he might give in to his despair and take any offer to end his suffering, even if it came from the nine-tailed fox demon itself.

As if the fox knew that, Naruto was shown one last vision. It was a combination of the previous ones.

It showed Sasuke becoming Hokage, and as if adding salt to the wound, he married Sakura. Naruto himself was a poor, uneducated orphan who no one liked, was alone and eventually spent his remaining years in a hospital bed, too weak to even move.

Seeing Sasuke steal both of his dreams while he was left with nothing was too much for Naruto, who wished that someone would do something, anything to end his torture.

As if reading his thoughts, the fox demon, who had been using his limited influence on Naruto's mind to drive him to the edge of despair, began to draw him back into the labyrinth that was his mindscape. Once there, the fox would encourage Naruto to remove the seal, and free him from his suffering.

It would take a miracle to save him now, and by such chance one happened. While a demon plotted against Naruto, it could be said an angel, with long red hair and violet eyes, was watching out for him.

Just when the fox demon was about to move against Naruto, it's power was pushed back by an unknown force. The nightmare like visions reset, but this time they were different.

For a moment, before Naruto was forced to watch the visions again, he thought he heard a voice.

"I'm sorry, I wish I could have been there for you. We could have been so close. I'll do anything for you, so please, wake up."

Then it was gone. Naruto thought it sounded familiar. He did not have time to remember it, as the visions started again.

Just like before, they started with his younger self being rejected by a young Sakura. There was something different this time though. Someone else was here.

After Sakura told him she would never go out with him, a young person, who looked like a girl and Naruto thought was prettier then Sakura, came by and comforted him.

The mysterious girl, who had long, black hair, brown eyes and pale skin, offered Naruto some advice. Soon the young Naruto tried asking out the young Sakura again, this time with a different approach.

Sakura refused him again, and the strange girl offered her support once more. She showed him what he did wrong, and helped him plan a different tactic.

Unlike before, there was no one else who watched Naruto humiliate himself over and over. Each time Naruto would try something different to get Sakura to go out with him, and each time when she said no the other girl would offer her sympathy and help him try again.

There was another change. With each new approach, it was clear it was getting harder and harder for the young Sakura to reject the young Naruto. It seemed like whatever he was doing, it was now working.

Soon the vision changed to that of a teenage Naruto, who was asking out a teenage Sakura. Only this time, she accepted the offer for a date. Naruto was shown a montage of scenes, with the future Naruto and Sakura's relationship developing from just dating, to getting engaged, then married, and having a family.

Naruto was sure it was because of the presence of the dark-haired girl that his life changed. He wondered what else would be different because of her.

Naruto watched his younger self challenge a younger Sasuke to a fight, only to lose. This time, the girl was there to heal him afterwards. She would then help with his training, making him stronger.

The young Naruto continued to challenge young Sasuke, but would do a little better each time, no doubt thanks to the girl's help. Eventually, the other Naruto defeated the other Sasuke, who finally acknowledged him as a worthy rival and friend.

Naruto was getting better by the minute. If only this girl was with him in his youth, his life could have been so much better. He was sure she was familiar as well.

Knowing the next vision would be of his days as a prankster, Naruto wondered how the girl's inclusion in his life would change that.

The vision he was treated to was a simple one. With the girl giving him the attention he craved, the young Naruto had no need to seek it out. Instead of wearing bright orange and playing pranks, he wore modest colours and spent his time training diligently.

Eventually, he became a respected member of society, who everyone was sure would make an excellent Hokage someday, which he did.

Naruto was in high spirits now. He wondered who this girl could be, and how, with her help, he might have been able to obtain all that he ever wanted.

Seeing the last vision, Naruto knew things would be fine. He saw his younger self struggling to understand the concepts in his textbooks. This time, the girl was there to help him learn them.

Although he was never the bookworm type, he did well enough with her help to gain a basic amount of knowledge. She helped him learn how to perform the clone technique, and his younger self graduated from the ninja academy at the age of ten, gaining a head start on his career.

Seeing how much better his life would have been with that girl as a part of it, Naruto wished he knew who she was. The girl was strangely familiar to him, and Naruto was sure he had met her before.

Concentrating, Naruto focused on her image and tried to determine her identity. The world around him seem to blur, and soon took the form of a forest.

Naruto recognized it as the outskirts near Tazuna's home where he practiced his tree climbing. Looking around, he saw himself asleep on the ground.

It was then he realized he was watching a memory of his. Glancing about, Naruto noticed the girl from the visions approaching.

Naruto watched her sit next to his sleeping double, and place her hand around his neck, almost as if she was going to strangle him. Instead, she settled for waking him up.

Naruto watched the memory play out, and had a good laugh at his own expense when the girl revealed she was really a boy. It was then Naruto realized he never found out the beautiful boy's name.

Just when he thought it was all over though, the scene changed again. This time, it was of him and Sasuke trapped in Haku's ice mirrors. He heard Haku's voice calling out tot them.

"I see, you too share the legacy of a blood-line."

Naruto started feeling uncomfortable. This was moments before Haku nearly killed him.

Something was amiss though. Feeling as if he was missing something, Naruto focused on figuring it out. Then, just as suddenly as when the scene changed from the woods to the bridge, it changed back.

"Do you have anyone special in your life?"

The scene changed back once more.

"I can't let this fight go on. My own art forces me to expend a great deal of chakra so there is a limit to how long I can go on using it."

Yet another change.

"When people are protecting something truly precious to them, they truly can become as strong as they need to be."

Change again.

"I'm certain the longer our duel drags on, the greater your ability to perceive my movements will become. Especially since to a certain extent, you can already see me now."

Change.

"You will get stronger. I know we'll meet again. So, you should know…I'm a boy."

Change for the last time.

"Time to bring this to an end!"

The visions stopped there. Naruto was now in tears. He understood perfectly what he was seeing. The voice of the attractive boy was the same as Haku's. He was the boy he met in the woods that day, collecting herbs to help Zabuza recover, herbs Naruto helped him collect.

Naruto did not know what to feel. While Haku taught him an important lesson, he also nearly killed him. Unsure of what to do, he wished someone would give him an answer.

"I hope you wake up soon. I know I've said it countless times, but I want you to so badly."

Naruto looked around in surprise. He heard the voice again, which he now knew belong to Haku.

"I'm so sorry. If it wasn't for me this wouldn't have happened to you. If you wake up I promise I'll do anything to make up for it. So please, wake up."

He heard Haku's apology, and his offer for amends. Naruto, never being one to hold a grudge, felt like he could accept it.

"I've only known you a short time, but I know if we had met under different circumstances, we could have been close. Whether it would be as friends or brothers, I know we would have been happy and our lives would have been better"

Naruto knew from his visions that if he and Haku had been friends, his life would have been much better because of it, and was sure he could have made Haku's better as well.

"I told you that I knew one day you would become strong. Well, I saw your strength the day we fought on the bridge. You are strong, you proved that when you sacrificed yourself to save your team-mate. I know you're strong enough to overcome whatever demons are plaguing you, so please, wake up."

Thinking back to his memory of the events on the bridge, Naruto agreed. Rather then run away to save his own life, he threw himself into the line of fire to save his team-mate. That took courage, and a lot of strength to do so.

Understanding dawned on Naruto. The nightmares were caused by the fox demon in another attempt to get him to remove the seal. Haku was right though, he was strong enough to beat his inner demon, but it because he had Haku's help.

Wanting to thank Haku for helping him regain his will to live, Naruto did what Haku asked of him, and woke up.

ZzZzZzZ

The first thing Naruto felt when he awoke was dampness. His naked body seemed to be covered in a thin layer of water, which felt cool. Opening his eyes, the first thing he saw was Haku, wearing the same pink kimono he had on when they first met.

Seeing that Haku was crying for him, Naruto reached up with his hand and brushed some of the tears away.

"Haku," Naruto said faintly, gaining his attention, "I forgive you."

Haku finally broke control of his water technique, as he was too busy hugging Naruto, who hugged him back with what little strength he had, to maintain it.

ZzZzZzZ

Author's Notes: I was almost in tears writing parts of this. I hope's it's as emotional for the readers as it was for me.

I'd like to once again clarify that this is still not yaoi, even if Haku's sexuality is as questionable as his gender. Nothing will happen beyond some light joking or a passing remark.

Does anyone know if Capoeira is a good fighting style to combine with swordplay? If so, it will be Kimimaro's, and maybe's Naruto's preferred method of combat.

I have tentative pairings in mind for most of the main characters. I'm not sure about revealing them yet, since it would be a big spoiler if I did so. If anyone has any reasons why I should, or should not reveal them, let me know.

I also need ideas for a summoning contract for Naruto. It has to be something that can survive in saltwater, and be effective on land. I'm leaning towards crocodiles for now.


	6. Making a Deal With a Devil

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto

Zabuza's Seven

Chapter 6: Making a Deal With a Devil

As Haku kept vigil over Naruto, Zabuza had taken over searching their new properties, while giving away anything they did not need to the villagers of Wave Country. Medical supplies and anything not of use to him were dropped off anonymously throughout the village.

Some were suspicious of the medical supplies being dispersed around the village. Tazuna brought up the point to Kakashi, who brushed it off as Zabuza playing benefactor. In his words, "In a shinobi culture, today's enemy could be tomorrow's ally." Kakashi believed it was not entirely out of the goodness in his heart, but out of an ulterior motive.

With Gato dead, Zabuza no longer had any quarrel with Tazuna. Kakashi suspected he might be extending an olive branch in the hopes of acquiring Wave's support for the Mist rebellion.

Wave Country could provide a staging ground for the rebellion. Forces may gather here from around the elemental nations in preparation for a deathblow against the oppressive Mist regime.

Tazuna was very uncomfortable with that idea. The thought of a large number of ninja gathering in Wave put him on edge. He was afraid they may draw unwanted attention.

There was another potential reason why Zabuza would be interested in Wave. Once the bridge is complete, and with Gato's company in ruins, Wave Country would become a shipping hub in the elemental nations. Whoever manages to make a trade agreement with Wave would profit from it greatly.

For now though, Tazuna was at ease. Gato was dead, his bridge was nearly complete, his grandson was doing better then he had been in years, and the quality of life in Wave was slowly improving.

If Zabuza's intentions were to help now, Tazuna might just hear him out. As long as nothing he wanted put Wave Country or it's people into danger, while benefiting them, he could end up being a welcome ally.

ZzZzZzZ

As it turns out, Zabuza was in fact seeking a sort of alliance from Wave Country. The acts of goodwill following the events of the battle on the bridge were a peace offering.

The bridge itself was now complete, it's construction having been completed the day before. The Leaf ninja had set out to return to their village as their mission was complete as well.

Zabuza waited until they were gone before contacting Tazuna. He was the closest entity to a leader the people of Wave Country had. That, and Zabuza felt he could not stay in the presence of the Leaf ninja without wanting to eviscerate them for their treatment of Naruto.

They were to meet at a location of Tazuna's choosing, to make him feel more at ease. Tazuna chose the end of the bridge that was connected to Fire Country. That way, he could observe the final touches being applied, the sign declaring the name of the bridge to the world, and a memorial plaque for Naruto.

Zabuza waited until Tazuna arrived to appear. Had he made it there first, Tazuna might have been suspicious of a possible trap. He had no reason to worry though. Zabuza had no intention of causing Tazuna any harm, just the opposite in fact. The only trap he had was Haku, and Naruto was the only one in danger of springing it.

While Tazuna supervised his workers, Zabuza made his way along the bridge to meet them. He did not have the decapitating carving knife with him, as he felt Tazuna would be more at ease if he was unarmed. Of course, Zabuza could kill Tazuna in a myriad of ways without it, but hopefully the gesture will be appreciated.

As Zabuza made his way across the bridge, he noticed the workers giving him a wide berth, clearly not too comfortable around him. It was understandable, given that he attacked them just over a week ago.

Soon he made it to the end, where Tazuna was waiting for him. Zabuza was doing nothing to hide his presence, so the bridge builder had been building up his nerve.

There was a tense moment between the two. Only eight days ago Zabuza was trying to kill Tazuna, only to be betrayed by Gato. In an instant, Zabuza had gone from villain to hero, killing Gato and ending his cruel stranglehold over Wave Country.

Now, in the days since then, Gato's company was in ruins. His assets were cleaned out, and without funds to run the company or pay his workers, they had abandoned him. Some had fought back against Zabuza when he claimed his compensation from Gato, only to meet a grisly demise.

The various deeds that Gato held for properties across the elemental nation were now in Zabuza's hands. Effectively, Zabuza had taken Gato's place as tyrant of the seas.

Luckily for those who lived here, Zabuza was not interested in the position, having set his sights on a higher goal. Instead, where Gato hoarded his wealth and goods, Zabuza had been sharing the wealth, or at least some of it.

For that reason only Tazuna agreed to their meeting. The supplies being left around the village had been a great help to the impoverished people of Wave Country. In a week Zabuza had done more for them then Gato ever did. Besides, if Zabuza still wanted to kill Tazuna, the old bridge builder was sure he would already be dead.

It was quiet for a bit. Tazuna was the first to break the silence. Clearing his throat, he addressed Zabuza.

"Alright, let's get this over with. I'm still not over the whole "you were hired to kill me" thing, but according to Kakashi, it was just a job, and with Gato dead I'm not in danger anymore. So what gives with the charity? You want something from us?"

Zabuza nodded in reply.

"Yes, but first, tell me, have you come up with a name for the bridge?" Zabuza asked Tazuna.

The bridge builder was caught off guard by Zabuza's query.

_'I thought everyone had heard what it's new name was. I guess Zabuza's been holed up in the woods or in Gato's ships and hasn't heard yet.'_

Zabuza had indeed heard of the name chosen for the bridge, and intended on using it to his advantage.

"I decided to name it "The Great Naruto Bridge", in honour of the boy your apprentice killed." Tazuna snarled out.

Although he was playing nice now because Zabuza seemed to be willing to help, Tazuna was still upset by Naruto's death.

_'I figured that would be a sore spot. I have to play this carefully.'_ Zabuza thought.

"A fine name it is. He died an honourable death, thought had he been a Mist ninja instead of a Leaf ninja he would have been strong enough to live."

Tazuna seemed to take offence to that.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He called out to Zabuza. "Are you calling him weak?"

"Nothing of the sort. He gave his life to save his comrade. Like I said, it was an honourable death. However, had be been trained properly and given the support he needed, I'm sure he could have killed me and my apprentice with ease."

Zabuza had been acting nonchalant at first, but with his final statement he stared Tazuna right in the eyes. The bridge builder gulped at the look he was given, and could tell Zabuza meant what he said.

"What do you mean, he could have killed the both of you? I'm not sure we're talking about the same kid here."

For a moment, a gleam of amusement appeared in Zabuza's eyes.

_'I'm getting through to him. He's taken the bait, so now I just have to reel him in.'_

"You probably did not notice it since you are not a shinobi, but that boy had incredible potential, which had been going to waste."

Tazuna seemed curious now. Zabuza had not explained why he believed Naruto had so much potential, and he wanted to know how.

"Wasted potential, what does that mean?"

Zabuza remained calm. Thinking of how much better Naruto should have been infuriated him, but it would be bad if he lost his temper in front of Tazuna.

_'Things are different now. I will be sure to give Naruto the training he needs, and have him fight for me from now on.'_

Zabuza did not do everything out of the goodness of his heart, after all.

"Remember when I first engaged team seven in combat? I had Kakashi imprisoned and my water clone was toying with his students? What did Naruto do in that situation?"

Tazuna thought about it for a moment. That was not something he really wanted to remember.

_'Let's see, Naruto tried attacking the, water clone was it? Yeah, he got beaten bad, and lost his headband, but he got it back. Then he said he had a plan. I recall him sending his own clones out, but they weren't made of water.'_

Tazuna was getting close now.

_'They were all beaten pretty easily. Naruto then tossed a weapon to Sasuke, who threw it at Zabuza, who caught it. Then another one appeared, apparently hidden in the first's shadow.'_

That was the shadow shuriken technique, not to be confused with the shuriken shadow clone technique, as it often was.

_'Zabuza dodged that one, but it was really Naruto in some sort of disguise. I've never heard of a disguise like that though. Must be a ninja trick. He then threw a knife at Zabuza, who was forced to dodge it, releasing Kakashi.'_

Said ninja trick was the elephant in the room, and anymore of it is better left unsaid, lest a can of worms be opened.

"From what I recall," Tazuna said, "Naruto tricked you into freeing Kakashi. Not bad for a kid, but I don't think outsmarting you once is enough to Make you think he could have killed you. So what am I, a civilian who knows nothing of shinobi ways missing out on?"

Zabuza was silently impressed that Tazuna caught on so quickly.

"Alright, I'll tell you. Do you know what ninja technique Naruto used to create his clones?" Zabuza asked Tazuna.

Tazuna thought about it for a moment, answered.

"I think he shouted, shadow clone technique? Yeah, that was it."

"Indeed," Zabuza replied, "that was the shadow clone technique. It is a B-ranked forbidden technique."

Tazuna's eyes widen in surprise at the classification of the technique. Most likely from the forbidden part, as he would not understand the meaning of the rank.

"I see you understand, and I'm guessing it was the forbidden part that caught your attention. You see, unlike water clones which use water, something that is easily available, the shadow clone technique uses, and creates solid clones of pure chakra, the life-force of a shinobi."

Zabuza knew Tazuna did not understand, but continued anyway.

"The more chakra a ninja has, the more ninja techniques they can use. From what I can tell, Naruto has quite a lot of chakra. Much more then me in fact. He was able to make dozens of shadow clones, repeatedly I might add. I can only make a few, and just once."

Tazuna would not realize it, but there should have been no way Zabuza would know the shadow clone technique. The only way would be if he had learned it from Naruto, which, in a way, he did.

_'Using the sharingan isn't the only way to copy a technique. I saw the hand seal Naruto used, and so did Haku. Knowing what the technique does, it was easy enough figuring out how it works so I could use it myself.'_

Zabuza had been practicing the technique in his spare time. With Haku's help, he determined the proper hand seal it required. After several tries, and tiring himself out greatly, he successfully performed it.

Unlike Naruto, Zabuza noticed the memory transfer property right away. He was already putting it to use. Two clones would investigate the shipyard, two more would develop their water manipulation, and Zabuza himself would concentrate on his physical training.

_'I can't make too many shadow clones right now, so the technique is useless for me in combat. It is a good training tool though. I'll be able to accelerate my development greatly with it.'_

Thinking of how much better he would become knowing one of the Hidden Leaf Village's forbidden techniques pleased Zabuza to no end.

_'It's obvious why the shadow clone technique was considered forbidden. If not for the chakra cost, the memory transfer would allow any chakra powerhouse to become very powerful in a short time.'_

That brought him back to the topic at hand, Naruto's wasted potential.

"Did you know that when a shadow clone is dispelled, it's memories are transferred back to their creator? I could have a clone working on a chakra control exercise, like tree climbing."

Tazuna, who knew Naruto and Sasuke spent a lot of time doing that exercise, paid close attention to Zabuza's words.

"When the shadow clone is dispelled, I'd get the benefits of the training, while I was doing something else. I could be working out, reading a book, guarding a client or helping build a bridge, anything like that."

Tazuna now had some ill concealed anger in his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he then spoke up.

"So," Tazuna said to Zabuza, "before we continue, how do I know that technique works like you said?"

"I could create a clone, then you can tell it something, and it will then dispel itself. I'll learn what you told it, and tell it back to you."

"Okay, do it then, but I don't know how good your hearing is, and I don't feel like doing much walking."

Tazuna then called out to a nearby worker.

"Hey, you! Get over here!"

An anonymous worker ran up to them as Zabuza formed a shadow clone.

"Go with this guy here to the other end of the bridge and say something to him, then when he disappears come back here."

The worker was clearly intimidated by Zabuza, but went along with Tazuna's instructions. After some time, Zabuza grunted.

"They're done. Your employee should be back soon."

As Zabuza said, Tazuna's employee came back after a few minutes. Tazuna then awaited proof of the techniques success.

"He thanked me for taking care of Gato and passing out some medicine. His daughter had a cold and she's doing better now." Zabuza said.

Although he gave no indication to his own emotions, Zabuza was glad he was of help.

_'Hopefully what we've done here will be a good indication of how things will go for the Hidden Mist Village and Water Country.'_

Tazuna looked at his employee, who confirmed what Zabuza said was true. Tazuna looked back to Zabuza, and spoke to him again.

"Alright, I believe you. From what I understand, Naruto could have used that technique of his to complete that training exercise faster. Either he could have used a clone to do it, or several at once, right?"

Zabuza nodded in response.

"Yes, considering the number he can make, he could have done it ten, twenty, or even thirty times faster." Zabuza explained further.

"Not only that," Tazuna spoke again, "he could have left a few of them behind to work on that exercise, while guarding me as I worked on the bridge, or even used some of them to lend a hand?"

"That's right," Zabuza answered. "I'm sure given the small number of workers you had, someone, or a lot of someone, even without any skill, would have been a welcome hand."

Tazuna was now silently fuming.

_'While I was struggling to complete the bridge with a dwindling staff, a perfectly good source of cheap, disposable labour was wasting his time. Naruto's inexperience would not even be a problem.'_

Once again, the shadow clone technique was the solution to a problem.

_'If what Zabuza says is true, his clones could have just read all the training manuals I had, received some basic instruction, and he would have been set to go. He wouldn't be too good, but better then nothing anyway.'_

Tazuna did some breathing exercises to calm himself down.

"There's more." Zabuza said. "Remember how I said Naruto had more chakra then me? Well, the more you have, the harder it is to control it. Therefore, he should have been receiving advanced training in order to do so for quite some time."

Tazuna was able to guess where this was going.

"So let me guess. That tree climbing exercise Naruto struggled to complete was something he should have already known?"

"That's right." Zabuza answered. "Had any of Kakashi's students been Mist ninja they would have known much more advanced chakra control exercises, not just Naruto. Yet it seems Kakashi didn't even bother teaching any of them anything until your life was in danger."

Reminding Tazuna that he was originally hired to kill him was a risky move, but hopefully it would be worth it.

"So," Tazuna said, "just what kind of advanced chakra control exercises would they know?"

"Water walking for one." Zabuza replied quickly.

Tazuna appeared taken aback by that, but remembered Kakashi and Zabuza doing just that in their fight.

_'Considering the Hidden Mist Village must have a lot of water, I could see being able to walk on it very useful. I'm sure a liquid is harder to walk on then a solid, so it's definitely harder then climbing trees.'_

Tazuna shook his head, and spoke to Zabuza again.

"Okay, I see what you're getting at. Naruto and his team-mates should have been a lot stronger. Had they been Mist ninjas like you said, they would have been able to kill you and your apprentice with ease, right?"

"That is correct." Zabuza confirmed. "So, do you understand why I called for a meeting with you now?"

Understanding dawned on Tazuna.

_'I knew he wanted an alliance with Wave Country, but it sounds like he's trying to convince me that Mist ninjas are stronger then Leaf ninjas, or at least have higher standards. Still, I'm not totally convinced.'_

"It sounds like you want me to consider sending my business to the Hidden Mist Village and Water Country instead of the Hidden Leaf Village and Fire Country, am I right?" Tazuna said.

"You catch on quick. My purpose here is to come to an agreement the future of Wave Country. I'll continue to use Gato's former resources to aid in your recovery. Once both Wave Country and my homeland are again stable, our nations can work together for our mutual benefit."

"In other words," Tazuna said, "we send all of our requests for help from ninja to the Hidden Mist Village, and form trading deals with Water Country. Is that right?"

"That's right. So, do we have a deal then?" Zabuza asked Tazuna.

"Not just yet," Tazuna replied. "Isn't the Hidden Mist village in the middle of a civil war? By the sounds of it, it'll be over soon."

"It will be," Zabuza said. "Between the funds I acquired from Gato, as well as the supplies from his shipyard, the rebellion forces now have the resources needed for a final deathblow that will end the war once and for all."

"Rebellion forces?" Tazuna seemed to ask with a raised eyebrow. "You wouldn't happen to be planning on gathering them here in Wave Country, would you?"

"No, I have no intention of drawing any attention here. Besides, we have other bases in Water Country that would suit our needs better." Zabuza answered.

Tazuna was relieved by that.

"I was worried we'd be overrun by ninja. In that case, since you've already given us plenty of help, and have offered to continue doing so, and because of the prospective benefits of an arrangement, I'll accept your offer. It's a deal."

Tazuna then shook hands with Zabuza, sealing the deal.

"You won't regret this." Zabuza said.

"I better not." Tazuna replied.

ZzZzZzZ

Author's Notes: As of May 9, 2011, I edited this chapter, taking out the controversial ending. I didn't have a problem with it, but it's content was pushing a lot of readers tolerance and turning off many.

Does anyone have any issues with Zabuza learning the shadow clone technique? He won't be able to spam them in combat like Naruto, or train as much as he does. Would there be any problems if Zabuza taught it to others, like Kimimaro or Terumi Mei?

Did anyone catch the reference to the "transformation is an illusion" cliche? I have no idea who or what started that, as based on canon evidence it is solid, and not unique to Naruto. The best evidence I can give is how it's dispelled. A true illusion is one like the demonic illusion: hell viewing technique that Izumo and Kotetsu used to change the sign in the chunin exams. It was faded with a swirl. If transformation was the same, it would do so as well, but it's dispelled with a cloud of smoke, like shadow clones, thus making it more likely to be a chakra construct. It likely is solid, but with limits based on the user's skill.

I doubt it could actually be used to change gender, probably just the user's external physical shape. Although Naruto can turn into inanimate objects...


	7. What Have I Gotten Myself Into?

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto

Zabuza's Seven

Chapter 7: What Have I Gotten Myself Into?

Having completed his negotiations with Tazuna, Zabuza returned to his secret base to check on Haku and Naruto. Entering the makeshift infirmary, he came upon a strange sight.

His apprentice was on one side of the room, sitting in a chair and staring at an apparently interesting part of the floor. Haku's back was turned to Naruto, and his face was red, presumably from exhaustion related to using his bloodline to keep Naruto's fever down.

As for Naruto himself, Zabuza was surprised to see him awake, and in some sort of stupor. The boy's face was red as well, most likely from his fever. His face also seemed to be stuck in a look of shock and confusion.

Naruto was sitting upright, with his legs pulled against his chest and his arms hugging them close while keeping a bed sheet wrapped around him.

_'I don't know what happened while I was gone, but I'm guessing I missed something really funny.' _Zabuza thought to himself, regarding the situation.

Clearing his throat, he gained Haku's attention, who was avoiding looking at Naruto, who maintained his current pose.

"Haku," Zabuza addressed his apprentice, "Since Naruto's awake now, why don't you get him some clothes to wear."

"Yes sir." Haku answered.

He then bowed to his master, and made a quick exit, never looking at Naruto once.

_'Yup, I definitely missed something good. Oh well, I have a feeling I might not have wanted to see what happened anyway.'_

Zabuza then turned his attention towards Naruto. Seeing the boy was still shell shocked, and naked, he decided to wait for Haku to return.

_'He would probably feel more comfortable fully dressed. Hmm, I've got a weird feeling now.'_

Haku still had not returned. Zabuza began to worry.

_'Wait a minute, does Haku even have any clothes that would fit Naruto? For that matter, does Haku even have any clothes a normal boy would wear?'_

At that point, Zabuza realized that neither of them actually bothered to obtain any new clothes for Naruto. They merely assumed he would wear Haku's for now.

_'Now that I think about it, Haku's battle kimono is the most masculine clothing he has, and it's too big for Naruto. Well, this should be good for a laugh then.'_

Eventually, Haku returned, and Zabuza now knew the boy was quite embarrassed.

"I'm sorry, I tried to find something in Naruto's size, but this is the best I could do."

Haku, still red from embarrassment, handed Zabuza the clothes he picked out for Naruto. Zabuza chuckled at the selection, and passed them to Naruto, along with a pair of slippers.

"Here's something for you to wear. I'll take you to the washroom so you can change and take care of anything else. Don't bother complaining about the clothes either, it's that or nothing." Zabuza said to Naruto.

He expected some shouts of indignation from Naruto, but the boy surprised Zabuza by accepting them without complaint.

_'He must still be in a state of shock. That's not surprising considering his circumstances.'_

Wrapping the bed sheet around himself, and putting on the slippers, he allowed Zabuza to escort him to the base's washroom.

"Haku, I managed to find some instant ramen among the freight on Gato's ships. Why don't you prepare some for Naruto?"

"Yes sir, I'll get right on it." Haku answered, then left for his new task.

Zabuza and Haku both knew Naruto loved ramen, and hoped it would cheer him up. Taking a close look at the boy's face, Zabuza noted his expression pick up a bit. Naruto's lips curled slightly into a partial smile.

_'That's good, hopefully he will feel better after a good meal.'_

They reached the facilities, which Naruto entered. Zabuza remained outside, awaiting his exit.

_'I wonder how he'll react to his new look?' _Zabuza wondered.

A moment later, a thumping noise could be heard from the washroom.

_'Well that answers that.'_

ZzZzZzZ

Inside the base's facilities, Naruto was slowly getting over his shock. He set the wardrobe Haku provided for him down on the closed toiled lid, having already made use of it. That was when Naruto finally took a good look at the offered wardrobe, and cursed under his breath.

_'I should have known that's what he'd get for me. Oh well, it's not like I'll have to dress like a girl all the time now. I'll get some new clothes soon, with lots of…orange…'_

Naruto's thoughts trailed off as the memory of his nightmares flashed through his mind.

_'Did I really just wear a lot of orange so people would notice me? Do I just really like the colour? Or is there a deeper meaning that even I don't realize?'_

Unsure of how to feel now, Naruto settled on getting dressed in what was provided for him.

_'Why does Haku only have girl's clothes? Does he wear them as a disguise, or does he like how he looks in them?'_

Naruto shook his head as images of Haku in his pink kimono appeared in his mind.

_'Bad thoughts, bad thoughts, he's a guy, I shouldn't think about how pretty he looks.'_

Looking through the clothing he was given, Naruto was pleased to find a pair of boxers in his size.

_'I was worried Haku wore girl's underwear too. I wonder if these belong to him.'_

Naruto threw the blanket he had draped himself in off and put on the boxers, ignoring the implications of wearing another boy's underwear. He also put on a pair of white socks, although it took him some time to figure out he was supposed to put them on his feet.

The next item of clothing Naruto was reluctant to wear. At first, he had glared at it so hard it might set on fire, which he might have been hoping for. Knowing he had no other choice, Naruto eventually donned the attire Haku picked out for him.

_'This is humiliating. I bet Haku did this on purpose. He's trying to turn me into his dress-up doll. The first chance I get, I'm getting some new clothes.'_

Again the nightmare like visions of a young boy clad in a blindingly bright orange jumpsuit flashed in Naruto's head, and he once again shook his head to banish them.

_'How long is this going to keep happening to me? Am I going to relive the memories of my nightmares every time something reminds me of them?'_

The washroom walls gave no response, not that Naruto expected one.

Sighing, Naruto put on the final article of clothing, a red belt. All that was left now was a red wig. Curious about why he would need one when he had a full head of hair, Naruto finally looked at his reflection in the washroom's mirror, and promptly fainted.

ZzZzZzZ

Elsewhere Haku was in the base's kitchen, cooking the ramen Zabuza brought in for Naruto.

_'I hope he likes it, and feels better. After a week of being unconscious and on an IV drip he must be hungry.'_

In addition to the instant ramen, Haku was also cooking various meats and vegetables to add to it.

_'The ramen itself has some value for it's carbohydrates, but more protein, calcium, as well as other vitamins would be good for Naruto. I hope I can convince him to change his diet. Hatake did say many others have tried and failed before.'_

Haku knew what it was like to be a starving orphan living off the street, and suspected Naruto did so as well.

_'I wonder, from what I've heard Naruto was close to a father/daughter duo that ran a ramen stand he went to a lot. Does he really like ramen, or was it the company he enjoyed? Regardless, ramen is a comfort food for him, so hopefully he'll enjoy it.'_

Humming a happy tune, Haku continued to cook for his master and Naruto, who he hoped would become like a little brother to him.

ZzZzZzZ

Back in the washroom, Naruto had just pulled himself off the floor to take another look at his reflection. Gazing into the mirror, he was not even sure it was really him he was looking at.

_'My hair is so short now, and my whiskers are gone. What happened to me?'_

Naruto's hair was only a few millimetres long, equivalent to a week's worth of growth. It would be several months before it was back to it's old length.

_'That explains why I would need the wig.'_

Raising his hand to feel the stubble of his newly grown hair, Naruto noted it's feel.

'_It's prickly and feels funny.'_

Naruto then put on the wig, and checked his reflection.

_'Huh, it's like looking at someone who could have been my sister.'_

With the red wig and loss of his birthmarks, Naruto really did look like a girl. Unbeknownst to him, he looked just like a young Uzumaki Kushina.

Although Naruto had his father's hair and eye colour, his facial structure was closer to that of his mother. With the red wig, the resemblance was quite noticeable.

_'I guess it's not bad. Too long though. It doesn't look like me. Then again, I don't feel like myself either. I don't even know how I should feel, or who I am anymore.'_

Again the nightmare visions flashed in Naruto's mind.

_'If that's going to happen every time I think of what I used to be like, maybe I should change. How do I do that?'_

The visions flared again, but this time they were of the happy memories where Haku helped Naruto through his childhood.

_'My life would have been so much better if Haku, or anyone at all had just taken a moment out of their own lives to help me. Why didn't anybody do that?'_

As the visions continued to assault Naruto's mind, he continued to fight back against them.

_'Haku said he'd do anything to help me now, and I believe him. He's known the same pain I did, so he can help me better then anyone.'_

The visions slowly receded as Naruto's strengthened resolve fought them down. Collapsing on his hands and knees, Naruto began panting from mental exhaustion. After a minute, he was breathing normally. Sitting with his legs up against his chest, Naruto began collecting his thoughts.

_'I wouldn't have been able to beat those nightmares if it wasn't for Haku's help. He seems to want to look out for me, so what does that make us now?'_

Naruto did not realize it, but he and Haku were developing a sibling bond, and Naruto was in the role of the younger brother. Haku would always be there to protect him and take care of him as only a family member could do.

_'All I know is, he's been nicer to me then anyone else I know. I want to stay with him now, but he's Zabuza's apprentice. Does this mean I'll have to join them, and abandon my old home?'_

For a moment, Naruto was worried the nightmare visions would flash again, but he was safe.

_'I'd hate for that to happen every time something reminded me of the Hidden Leaf Village. Still, now that I think about it, my life there wasn't that great. It wasn't bad, but could it have been better?'_

Naruto would get the answer to that question soon enough.

_'I need to know what's happened since I woke up. Then I'll know what to do.'_

Naruto's stomach then chose that moment to start grumbling, reminding him he had not eaten in a week.

_'Heh heh, I should get something to eat first. I hope Haku is a good chef, instant ramen is good, but not as good as the ramen from Ichiraku.'_

Feeling saddened that he may never have ramen from his safe haven again, Naruto hoped that wherever he went next, there would always be good ramen nearby.

Getting up off the floor, Naruto adjusted his clothing, and proceeded to exit the washroom.

ZzZzZzZ

While Naruto was excited about having a home cooked meal, sort of, inside his mindscape, Naruto's tenant was in a fierce mood.

_'Naruto's will is getting stronger.' _The Nine-Tailed Fox Demon thought.

_'The bond between him and the ice user is powerful. Should anything happen to that bond though, Naruto's will to live would become weaker then ever.'_

The fox was much like Naruto. He was cunning, and never gave up.

_'For now things are working fine. Naruto is suppressing my limited influence on his mind, but someday he will need my power again. When that time comes, I'll entrench myself into his psyche. Once that happens, I will eventually gain my freedom.'_

The most likely way for the fox to gain his freedom would require Naruto's death, much like Naruto's supposed death gained him his freedom from his bonds to the Hidden Leaf Village. A dead ninja can not be marked down as a missing ninja.

_'For now, Naruto will grow in power. Someday, he'll want, or need my power as well. When that time comes, we will fight, I will win, and then I'll kill him and gain what I deserve, my freedom!'_

The fox then let out a roar, for all the good it did him. Unable to inflict any harm to his host, the fox settled for resting once more.

_'Someday Naruto, your time will come, someday.'_

ZzZzZzZ

After quite some time, Naruto revealed himself, and his new look.

If it was not for Zabuza's years of experience keeping his emotions concealed from his enemies, he would have burst out in laughter. Naruto was now wearing the clothes Haku picked out for him.

What amused Zabuza so much was that Haku was a cross-dresser, and aside from his ninja gear, only owned girl's clothes. Thus Naruto, who was definitely a male, came out of the washroom wearing a kimono that was very similar to Haku's, which was actually one of the standard uniforms for Mist Shinobi.

Said kimono consisted of a red shirt and skirt with a green jacket held closed by a red belt. The look was completed by a red wig, as Naruto's own hair had not grown much. Overall, Naruto looked like a young and pretty girl.

Naruto was almost okay with his new attire, but seeing Zabuza, an experienced ninja, struggle to keep from laughing at him, brought back his indignation in full force.

"Don't…say…a…word." Growled out Naruto, red faced in anger once more, finding no humour in being forced to dress like a girl.

Zabuza, wishing he had a camera, gestured for Naruto to follow him to the base's kitchen, where Haku was preparing their meal.

As they made their way there, Naruto's anger slowly dissipated as the aroma of ramen assaulted his senses. Soon enough, they were seated at a small table in a room adjacent to the kitchen.

His irritation over being forced to wear a dress nearly forgotten, Naruto eagerly awaited his first meal in over a week. Zabuza could hear the boy's stomach growling, and thought he even saw Naruto begin to drool.

It was not too much longer before Haku exited the kitchen with a serving cart covered in steaming hot bowls of different types of ramen. Naruto was now clearly eyeing the food, with a hungry look. Zabuza was glad to see his spirit's lifting in the presence of his favourite food.

_'Hopefully this will sate his hunger, and relax him. The better we make him feel, the more co-operative he will be.'_

Haku set some of the bowls on the table, and described them.

"I heard you like miso ramen with pork, so I added some to the instant miso flavoured ramen. Cooking the meat is what kept me so long. I also prepared beef, chicken, seafood, and vegetable ramen." Haku explained, while seemingly adding the last variety as an after thought.

Naruto examined each bowl, unsure of where to begin. Naruto was quick to dismiss the vegetable bowl at first, but the memory of his nightmares and the fox's words were fresh in his mind.

_'I've made a lot of bad choices in my life. I'm not sure whether this next one is another bad choice or not.'_

Sighing deeply, Naruto prepared himself for what he thought was to be his greatest challenge.

_'I have to do this. I'm not going to like it, but there's going to be a lot of things I'm not going to like doing in my life.'_

Naruto then reluctantly reached out and took a bowl of the vegetable ramen. Sucking in a deep breath, he took a pair of chopsticks in hand and began to eat away.

Zabuza and Haku watched in amazement as Naruto ate his most hated food along with his most beloved meal. He quickly gathered the noodles into a ball which he ate in one gulp, then drank away the remaining broth, grudgingly chewing the boiled vegetables that accompanied it.

"Well," Zabuza said after a moment, "that was both unexpected and disgusting."

Naruto had a slightly sour expression on his face. He poured himself a glass of cold water from a pitcher and quickly drank it, hoping to wash away the vegetables after taste. Seeing Haku and Zabuza were still curious about his first choice, he offered them an explanation.

"I always hated vegetables. A few people I knew always tried to get me to eat them."

Naruto had a brief memory of Kakashi dropping by his apartment with a basket of them, but quickly dismissed it.

"Lately I've realized there's a lot of things about me I need to change if I want to become a better person. If I want to be stronger, I'll need to start eating better. I still don't like it, but it's time I grew up and accepted that I can't always do whatever I want."

Zabuza accepted Naruto's statement, though Haku was a bit put off as it seemed that Naruto did not like his cooking. That was quickly changed, as the three of them began eating the remaining ramen. Naruto complimented Haku's cooking, saying it was the best instant ramen he ever had. Haku found that statement odd.

_'He ate his ramen so fast I'm surprised he could even taste it. It's almost as if he was trying to avoid tasting it, and consumed it in the fastest manner possible. I wonder how he developed a habit like that?'_

Continuing to watch Naruto eat while having some shrimp ramen, Haku was reminded of his time on the streets.

_'I was only four years old when master Zabuza found me, so I can't remember much of it. I seem to recall food was scarce, and there was much competition for it. I had to eat what I found fast if I did not want to lose it.'_

Taking a bite of shrimp, Haku found it tasty, but felt the ramen was bland. Naruto did not seem to mind, and inhaled his servings.

_'Does he have an enhanced sense of taste? That might explain why he seems to enjoy ramen so much.'_

While Haku was thinking, Naruto finished another bowl.

_'I'll worry about it more later, when I can try feeding Naruto a better variety of dishes.'_

Soon Naruto had his fill, and was content. If someone were to ask him to betray his village, he was happy enough that he just may go along with the request. As it turned out, that was exactly what Zabuza and Haku were going to do.

Naruto let out a sigh of relief, slumped down in his chair, and started rubbing his belly. Taking this as a sign of contentment and relaxation, Zabuza prepared to address Naruto, and give him a proposition that would change his life. Before doing that though, he wanted answers to some troubling questions.

"Naruto," Zabuza said, getting his attention, "I'm sure you would like to learn what has happened since the day of the battle on the bridge."

Zabuza was worried reminding Naruto of that day would bring up unpleasant memories for him, but Naruto, who's attention was focused on Zabuza, remained content.

_'Either he's gotten over the trauma, or he's just feeling too good after eating all that ramen to feel bad.' _Zabuza thought.

Relieved that Naruto was not upset, Zabuza continued his proposition.

"There is much Haku and I would like to know about you as well. So here is my offer. We will inform you of the current events, if you inform us of what we want to know about you. After that, we shall decide what happens to you next."

Feeling quite relaxed, Naruto thought over the offer, and accepted it.

ZzZzZzZ

It was now late at night. Naruto lay on the roof of the base, gazing up at the stars, reflecting back on the recent changes in his life, starting with the outcome of the battle on the bridge.

_'I'm glad no one else died, except Gato, but he had it coming. Wave Country will be much better off now with the bridge finished and Zabuza offering aid.'_

Thinking of the bridge brought a smile to his face.

_'It's really cool that they named it after me. I can't wait to see it! It's just too bad I can't reveal myself to Tazuna and his family._'

Thinking of them reminded Naruto of Zabuza's warning.

_'The Hidden Leaf Village thinks I'm dead now. If they find out I'm still alive, who knows what will happen to me.'_

The nightmare visions did not return, but Naruto still found it painful to think of his former home, and the handful of people who would miss him.

_'I can only think of seven people that might miss me, and I wasn't even that close to them. I've bonded more with Haku, and he's been nicer to me then they have.'_

Thinking of Haku reminded Naruto of how the he reacted to learning of Naruto's childhood. Unknown to Naruto, said ice user had quietly sat down next to him.

_'I had always kept my problems to myself, but telling Haku all of them made me feel better.'_

Naruto then began to have a flashback to the proceedings that occurred after dinner.

ZzZzZzZ

Zabuza was the one who informed Naruto of the events after the battle on the bridge, but Haku was the one to ask Naruto about his life, while Zabuza stayed off to the side.

As Naruto shared details of his past, he tried to keep the painful memories to himself, not wanting others to worry about him. Haku would have none of that, and made Naruto open up. Soon he was revealing thoughts and feelings he had never realized he had.

When Naruto started to share what he had learned in the academy, as a member of team seven, Zabuza took that time to speak up.

The former swordsman of the Mist clued-up Naruto to his wasted potential, and shared with him how he could have turned out if he was a Mist ninja, or was one of Zabuza's apprentices, before offering Naruto the opportunity to become one.

Naruto was taken aback by that. Looking at Haku for advice, it was clear what he wanted Naruto's decision to be.

As Naruto shared the details of his childhood, Haku's empathy for him started to return. Soon he had pulled Naruto into a hug, and still had not let go, telling Naruto if he felt like crying, he could do so. Naruto did not, but appreciated the gesture. He did not admit it, as it was obvious, but Naruto was rarely ever offered a hug, and enjoyed every one he got.

Thinking it over, Naruto knew his old life in the Hidden Leaf Village was over. He had a chance for a new beginning now, with someone who could be like an older brother to him, and a new master who would bring out his full potential.

Naruto decided to accept the offer. Haku, overjoyed, began squeezing Naruto tight and talking about how much fun they would have going clothes shopping.

Zabuza informed Naruto that until they had a doctor perform a check-up on him, he would have to focus on his studies to boost his intelligence. After that, he would be trained into exhaustion.

For a moment, Naruto regretted his decision. The evil gleam in Zabuza's eye and Haku asking Naruto what size he was did not help.

ZzZzZzZ

_'Yeah, my life is sure to be different now. I wonder what will happen next?' _Naruto thought as he lay on the roof.

Next to him, Haku was silently observing his new companion, and came to a conclusion.

_'Naruto's situational awareness is non-existent. I'll have to work with him on it.'_

"Hello!" Haku shouted out to Naruto.

Naruto, completely flabbergasted, jumped up in surprise. Putting a hand to his chest and breathing deeply, he called out Haku.

"Haku, what the hell?"

"It's getting late." Haku said sweetly, showing no reaction to Naruto's startled jump. "You should get some rest now. Tomorrow will be an important day."

Naruto, although upset with Haku, knew he was concerned about him, and decided to go along with him. Before doing that, there were a few things Naruto needed to know.

"Hey, Haku?"

"Yes?"

"Is there any ramen left? I wouldn't mind having some for breakfast."

Haku shook his head.

"No, we ate it all earlier."

For a moment, Naruto was in despair.

_'What have I gotten myself into?'_

Apparently between being impaled to death only to be burned and buried alive upon revival, mind-raped by a demon sealed inside you, declared dead by your former homeland, having to dress like a girl and not having ramen, the last item was the worst to Naruto.

Deciding to find some ramen first chance he got, Naruto asked Haku the other question he had.

"One more thing. Why do you dress like a girl?"

Haku blinked, put on a smile, and answered Naruto.

"I like how nice I look in women's clothing."

Naruto did not know what to say about that.

"You're a weird guy Haku." Naruto finally replied.

"I know." Haku said, not offended in the least. "Seriously though, you want to know?" Haku asked, a bit more serious now.

"Yeah, why is it?"

"Most people think I'm too pretty to be a boy and refuse to believe otherwise. Sometimes it's easier to play to their beliefs and expectations, in order to exploit them later."

"Huh?" Naruto asked, not getting it.

"You'll understand in time." Haku said as he got up and went back inside.

Getting up himself, Naruto then followed Haku back down into the base. Haku showed Naruto to a private bedroom, at Naruto's insistence.

ZzZzZzZ

Author's Notes: As of May 11, 2011 I revised this chapter to cut back on some of the controversial content. Hopefully it'll be better received now.

Naruto's new clothes are just Haku's hand me downs. They look the same as Haku's battle kimono, but in red and green.

If anyone is turned off by Naruto's new wardrobe, it does have a purpose. Naruto will be meeting his future love interest soon, and it will affect their meeting. Also, unless someone knew Uzumaki Kushina they definitely wouldn't recognize him now.

Without his whiskers he also doesn't need a mask. If someone knew Naruto was alive and was seeking him, they would be looking for someone concealing their face to hide them.

A lot of stories give Naruto an advanced sense of smell despite no canon evidence of him having one. I think I'm the first to suggest he has an enhanced sense of taste to explain why he likes ramen so much.


	8. The End of Uzumaki Naruto?

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto

Zabuza's Seven

Chapter 8: The End of Uzumaki Naruto?

It had been five days since Naruto accepted the offer to become another of Zabuza's apprentices. Much had changed for him in that time. In less then a week, Naruto had developed more then he did in years. While he learned new skills, Naruto also learned about his new companions lives, including the one he had not yet met.

ZzZzZzZ

The day after Naruto's awakening…

Naruto and Haku were in the infirmary, checking on the former's health. While they were running some basic physical fitness tests to make sure Naruto was alright, Haku was answering any of Naruto's questions.

"So if I'm the third apprentice now, who and where's the other one?" Naruto asked Haku.

"His name is Kimimaro. He's a member of the Kaguya clan."

Seeing Naruto's blank look, Haku explained some more.

"The Kaguya are a clan of berserkers. They were wiped out in Mist's civil war. Kimimaro is the only survivor. He also possesses the rare dead bone pulse bloodline-limit, that allows him to turn his own bones into weapons and armour."

Naruto nodded at Haku's explanation, but was curious about Kimimaro's ability.

"How does it work?"

"His skin opens up, allowing him to extract his bones. Kimimaro primarily uses them as swords, as his bloodline-limit allows him to alter their shape."

With a slightly nauseated look on his face, Naruto went and sat back down on his infirmary bed.

_'I should not have imagined how that would look.' _Naruto thought to himself.

Shaking away the bad thoughts, which was becoming a habit for him, Naruto tried asking something else.

"He doesn't dress like a girl too, does he?"

Haku shot Naruto one of his pretty, and unnerving smiles.

"No, he hardly wears anything at all."

Naruto's form nearly slipped from his shock, and Haku giggled at the display.

"I don't mean it like that." Haku said. "As his bloodline-limit requires him to extract his own bones, wearing layers of clothing would prevent him from doing so, or at least hinder him somewhat."

Kimimaro's bloodline limit had ruined what were in Haku's opinion, several good suits.

"He usually wears an ordinary pair of pants, and a loose fitting, long sleeved shirt. That way he can easily extract bones from his arms for use in combat."

Naruto was still slightly put off by that mental image, and kept concentrating on his movements.

"He does have his own sword though, which he usually wields to keep his bloodline-limit a secret."

Deciding the fashion styles of his new fellow apprentices was not a topic he enjoyed, Naruto changed it to something else.

"So where is he then?"

"Hmm? Oh, he's in Snow Country right now, although he may be back by now. We're supposed to rendezvous with him at a resort in Hot Spring Country."

Thoughts of relaxing in a hot spring filled Naruto's mind, helping him focus better, and put aside his earlier nauseating thoughts. That is, until a stranger thought popped into his head.

_'I wonder if Haku has ever snuck into the girl's bathing area? On second thought, that's probably something I'm better off not knowing about him.'_

At this point in the examination, Haku was instructing Naruto to take various poses to test his range of movement. Although Naruto found it boring, Haku was actually using them to judge Naruto's taijutsu skills. By having Naruto perform various stances, Haku was grading his abilities and attempting to discern a suitable style of combat for him.

_'It seems like his original form was sub-par, but he has been picking up the adjustments I gave him rather quickly. Once we begin training he should develop quite fast.' _Haku thought to himself.

While Haku oversaw Naruto's recovery, Zabuza continued his own training. Now that he knew the shadow clone technique, Zabuza was exploiting it for all it's worth.

While he trained in private, Haku was instructed to identify and eliminate Naruto's weaknesses. Once that was finished, Naruto would be ready for more intense training, including elemental manipulation and swordplay. Completely unaware he was actually learning something, Naruto continued to ask Haku any thought that came to his mind.

"What's Kimimaro doing in Snow Country?"

Haku, still correcting Naruto's form, answered his question.

"He's taking my katana in for maintenance. It's very special and I don't have the resources to properly care for it. However, there's a blacksmith residing in Snow Country who has the necessary resources."

Naruto again nodded at the response. Before he could ask another question, Haku spoke up again.

"The reason I did not go myself was due to an incident that I would prefer never to happen again." He said without making eye contact with Naruto.

The way Haku said incident, and did not look him in the eye told Naruto it was not something Haku would tell him anytime soon. Naruto did have an idea what it involved, and he was partially right.

"Therefore, Kimimaro went in my place. Should there be anymore, trouble, it is very likely it will never happen again." Haku finished, ending the talk on the subject.

Naruto wisely kept his mouth shut and did not make any comments or questions regarding the incident. Feeling a need to say something to lighten the mood, he gulped, and addressed Haku.

"Hey, Haku?"

The first apprentice of Zabuza turned his head to Naruto, but stayed silent.

"Umm," Naruto nervously began, "Since you and Kimimaro can both use swords, were you taught how to by Zabuza? Does that mean I'll learn how to use a sword too?"

Haku took a deep breath, and nodded in reply.

"Of course you will, but not until you're ready. You still need to improve your basics. You may have been a genin of the Hidden Leaf Village, but your skills are far below the standards of Mist genin."

Naruto inwardly sulked at that.

_'Still, at least Zabuza promised to train me properly now. All I have to do is show him the same loyalty I gave the Hidden Leaf Village and the old man, for all the good it did me.'_

Pushing aside thoughts of his former home, and those he left behind, Naruto began thinking of his new companions.

_'I like being with Haku, even though he's really weird. It's like he grew up with a bunch of sisters that made him dress in their old clothes, have tea parties, collect stuffed animals, own lots of pink things and go to the bathroom sitting down.'_

Whether on not Haku really did any of those is something better left unknown.

_'Zabuza is nicer then I thought he would be, considering his nickname is "The Demon of the Mist." He tried to kill the Mizukage not for selfish reasons, but to stop the bloodline-limit massacres and civil war that were destroying the Hidden Mist Village and Water Country. I wonder what started them?'_

The most commonly known answer is that the bloodline-limit massacres were started because those who held a bloodline-limit were blamed, or to some people, used as scapegoats for the civil war. Whether or not there was something or someone more sinister behind them was unknown.

_'Zabuza wants to be Mizukage so he can make the Hidden Mist Village a better place to live. I wanted to be Hokage so everyone would respect and stop ignoring me. I really was selfish.'_

The nightmare visions had not returned yet, but Naruto knew what he would have seen if they did.

_'I'm not going to be that selfish kid anymore. I'm needed with Haku and Zabuza now. I'm going to help them save the Hidden Mist Village and Water Country.'_

For a moment, Naruto remembered his former home,

_'The Hidden Leaf Village will be fine, I'm sure of it.'_

Naruto remembered the last words he said to Sasuke before his near-death experience. Hopefully, Sasuke listened to him.

_'I'm sure Sasuke will become a great Hokage someday, like I wanted to be. Right now though, the Hidden Leaf Village is safe, the Hidden Mist Village is not. I can be a genin doing chores for some villagers, or I can be a swordsman, saving a village from tyranny. The choice is obvious.'_

Naruto had learned all about Zabuza's past through Haku, and gained a sense of respect for the former Mist ninja. Given their similar ambitions, it was not surprising. Knowing his efforts would someday help save a nation sealed the deal for Naruto.

Having affirmed his decision to stay with Haku and Zabuza, Naruto restarted his conversation with Haku.

"So, what exactly do I need to work on before Zabuza will start training me?"

Haku paused in his directions, and took a thinking pose.

"Well, I'll have to evaluate the ninja techniques you know, as well as your skill with them. I'll test your aptitude with illusions as well. As for hand-to-hand combat, we're actually working on that right now."

Seeing the confused look on Naruto's face, Haku explained what they were doing.

"You've been working on taijutsu forms for quite some time now. I was correcting a lot of the errors in your stances as well. You didn't notice?"

Naruto shook his head.

"Well," Haku began, "don't worry about it. You're picking up the corrected forms quite fast. As soon as your cleared by a trained doctor we'll move onto sparring together. Until then, consider this a light workout."

Naruto accepted the limitation to his training. Although he felt fine, he did not want to take any unnecessary risks.

"I'll also help your chakra control by showing you the water walking exercise. It's quite useful. Finally, we'll be working on your aiming with kunai and shuriken, and possibly with senbon as well."

Naruto was looking forward to finally learning something, even if it was just compensating for his weaknesses, which he was now able to admit he had. Feeling optimistic about his future, he continued with his movements and discussions with Haku.

They continued on in that manner until midday, when they broke for lunch. Naruto was still upset about eating all the ramen, but refrained from commenting on it. Haku cooked again, using their rations of rice, fish, steamed vegetables and milk.

Naruto found the food similar to what Tsunami cooked, and guessed that portions and food supplies in Wave Country were still scarce. With the completion of the bridge, that would hopefully change soon, and for the better.

The rest of the day was spent testing Naruto's knowledge. To Haku's dismay, it was lacking. Naruto however, still had his never give up attitude, and finally applied it to his studies. He still struggled with it, and after he and Haku developed a headache, they called it a night.

ZzZzZzZ

Two days after Naruto's awakening…

The next morning Naruto and Haku continued their routine from yesterday. Naruto would practice his forms while Haku corrected them, and answered any of his questions. After lunch though, they did not resume the failed endeavour of expanding Naruto's intellect.

Haku asked Naruto what ninja techniques he knew. After Naruto listed them, gave a demonstration of the sexy technique and added that to the list of things they would never talk about again, Haku asked Naruto about why he doesn't know the basic clone technique.

Naruto explained how he could never successfully perform the technique, and Haku asked for a demonstration. Naruto performed the technique, and Haku instantly knew several things were wrong with it.

"What did I do wrong?" Naruto asked.

"For starters," Haku began, "you used too much chakra. I could actually see your chakra when you performed it. Second, you only used one hand seal for the technique, when you need to use the ram, snake, then tiger seals. Third, watch this."

At that point, Haku walked up to Naruto's half dead clone, and kicked it, causing it to dispel.

"That clone had substance, something it should not. The basic clone is merely an illusion, meant to be used as a distraction. My guess is, you thought it was supposed to create a solid clone, correct?"

Naruto nodded in reply.

"Well then, that explains how you learned the shadow clone technique so fast. You've spent years trying to create solid clones. You just didn't know the right hand-seal."

Naruto grinned sheepishly.

_'I guess all that screwing up helped after all!'_

Having identified the reason Naruto could not perform the clone technique, Haku spent some time teaching it to Naruto. Thanks to his improved chakra control from the tree-climbing exercise, Naruto was able to learn the technique.

Having done so, he and Haku discussed how to use it effectively, along with the transformation and replacement techniques. They came up with a strategy for Naruto that involved using the basic three to support his shadow clones. Hopefully, it would prove effective.

ZzZzZzZ

Three days after Naruto's awakening…

That afternoon, Haku demonstrated the water walking exercise to Naruto.

Rather then have Naruto do it himself, his shadow clones did the exercise. Naruto was nearby, meditating while performing the leaf floating exercise to further enhance his chakra control.

As Naruto's many shadow clones eventually improved enough to stand on the water, they dispelled to pass their improvement to the others. As their numbers ran low, Naruto made more of them.

Once the shadow clones were sufficient enough at the water walking exercise, Haku started pelting them with ice needles. He reasoned that if they can not stay standing while under attack, they would not stand a chance in a fight.

Water walking is a basic skill for Mist ninja, and many spar while doing so. It was unclear if Naruto had recovered enough to handle a spar, so they would play it safe for now.

The game continued like that. Haku would attempt to destroy a shadow clone, and it would do it's best to dodge. Naruto begrudgingly admitted it was a good exercise, as it improved his chakra control and evasion simultaneously.

Once the number of shadow clones ran low again, Naruto made more. This time, he added some basic clones, having figured out how to perform both techniques at once.

Haku would try to hit a clone, only for his ice needle to pass through it. Soon, he and Naruto were keeping score. Haku got a point for every shadow clone he hit, and Naruto got one for every miss, including any that hit a basic clone.

Haku was able to identify the basic clones by watching their feet, and seeing if they splashed the water. Naruto was upset Haku caught on to him so fast, but kept adding basic clones to practice the technique.

Eventually they called it a day, with Naruto's chakra control having advanced dramatically, and Haku winning the game. Luckily for Naruto, they were playing just for fun. Had there been any actual stakes, Naruto might have had the devil's luck to help him win.

ZzZzZzZ

Four days after Naruto's awakening…

With Naruto's ninja techniques, chakra control, and martial arts satisfactory, Haku began testing Naruto's aptitude for illusions. Unfortunately, neither of them knew any, so they decided to skip that and move on to the next step. They began testing Naruto's accuracy with kunai, shuriken, and at Haku's insistence, acupuncture needles.

Using a set of bulls eye's set up previously by Haku, Naruto used his shadow clones to assault them. Naruto himself did not take part, to avoid straining himself. During this time, he practiced his hand seals. Haku noted Naruto was quite slow with them, and would either have to learn to perform them faster, or master using his ninja techniques with only one hand seal.

When Naruto's accuracy had improved enough, Haku switched to human shaped targets instead of circular, and began explaining the various points to target. Naruto, remembering Zabuza's words of the eight points in the human body that result in death when hit, actually named them, but not where all of them were. Haku helped him with that.

Although Naruto was just as reluctant to take a life as Haku, he understood there would come a time when he would have to do so, and resolved to be prepared for it.

Naruto's accuracy had eventually improved enough that they moved onto targeting Haku's water clones. Even with one-tenth of Haku's speed, the water clones were still very fast. Naruto lost several shadow clones from friendly fire.

Afterwards, Haku commended Naruto for his quick improvements, and that he would soon be ready for more advanced training. Naruto claimed it was not that impressive, as it was mostly due to using his shadow clones as a training tool.

That night, Zabuza returned, and informed Haku and Naruto that they would be leaving Wave Country in the morning.

ZzZzZzZ

Five days after Naruto's awakening…

The next morning, Naruto groggily woke up. Haku had provided an old sleeping yukata for him, but Naruto was used to wearing pyjamas to bed, and had trouble adjusting.

_'I miss my walrus nightcap.' _Naruto lamented.

Naruto pushed his thoughts aside again. The constant reminders he owned nothing now were a painful reminder of his former life.

Getting up, Naruto did his morning routine. Soon, he was again forced to don Haku's hand-me-down clothes.

_'I wish I could have gotten something less effeminate.'_

Naruto was still uncomfortable with his new appearance. While his whisker marks were unique to him, and therefore losing them was beneficial to hiding his identity, Naruto was reluctant to give it up. He had been Uzumaki Naruto his whole life, but that life was over now. Naruto was unsure of who he should be.

_'Haku suggested I use the name Asuka if I'm pretending to be a girl like him, or Shippo if I need a new name for myself. I'm not sure about using either of them.'_

Sighing, Naruto decided to worry about his identity issues some other time. He knew Uzumaki Naruto was dead to the world now, and bringing him back would do no good. Little did Naruto know that a time would come when a man named Uzumaki Naruto would be the one called upon to save the world from its own death.

Taking one last look at the stranger in the mirror, Naruto slipped on a pair of slippers and left to meet Haku and Zabuza for breakfast.

ZzZzZzZ

Breakfast was a relatively quiet affair. Naruto would mainly chat with Haku while Zabuza watched them. He seemed pleased by how open Haku was acting around Naruto, suggesting he was normally much quieter.

Once they were done, Naruto earned his keep by having his shadow clones pack up their supplies. Haku even taught him how to use storage scrolls, which they loaded into their backpacks. Soon they were all set to leave. Naruto wanted to do one thing before they did though.

ZzZzZzZ

The three of them were hidden amongst the crowd, Naruto in his new suit, Haku in his familiar pink kimono, and Zabuza disguised as a merchant. They were standing on the end of the bridge that connected to Fire Country, gazing at the large sign declaring it's name to the world. As far as anyone knew, or cared, they were just more tourists out to see the bridge.

Gazing up at the sign, Naruto could not help but feel conflicted.

_'They named the bridge after me, in my memory. Is that all I am now, a memory?'_

Receiving no answer, Naruto resigned himself to his current situation. Uzumaki Naruto was dead now, and the massive bridge before Naruto was his memorial. Looking away from the bridge and towards Fire Country, Naruto put his old life behind him, and began looking forward to his new one.

ZzZzZzZ

Some time later, a wagon stopped at the border of Fire Country and Hot Spring Country, where a check-stop was posted. The driver pulled up to the stop to address the man running the station.

"I'm a merchant here on business." The man stated.

He was wearing a straw hat that covered his hair and eyes. His lower face was concealed by a scarf. The rest of his attire was standard merchant wear for the area.

"My nieces are with me, they are my assistants." He further explained.

Behind him in the wagon were two girls keeping an eye on their goods. One had long black hair, brown eyes, creamy, pale skin, and wore a pink kimono.

The other was wearing a green kimono jacket, with a red shirt, skirt and belt. She was more tanned then her apparent sister or possible cousin. Her most unique feature was her blue eyes whose pupils, in the right light, or lack of it, appeared to look like slits.

ZzZzZzZ

Author's Notes: As of May 11, 2011 this chapter has been slightly revised in compliance with revisions to previous chapters made in order for this story to appeal to a wider demographic.

The prologue arc is now complete. I know some of you felt it went on too long. It was my belief that if I went too fast, Naruto's decision to join Zabuza and Haku would not seem believable. I couldn't just have him decide to defect from his village overnight now, could I?

The incident Haku mentioned, which some might not want to know about, will be explained during the Snow Country mini-arc later in the story if anyone's interested in it.

I hope my theory for Naruto's inability to perform the basic clone technique catches on. It's better than just stating he's completely unable to perform it. Even worse is when it's the only thing holding him back from graduating despite being excellent at everything else. I can only think of a handful of fanfics where he can use the basic clone technique, or even passed the exam without having to steal the forbidden scroll and learn the shadow clone technique.

One last point. A lot of fanfics suggest Naruto can't use the basic clone technique due to an inability to mould small amounts of chakra, despite canon evidence to the contrary. During the Wave mission, while learning to climb trees, Naruto did not use enough chakra to stick to the tree while Sasuke used too much and blew himself off of it. Sakura did it right, meaning Naruto used less chakra than she did. If that doesn't change anyone's minds, nothing will.


	9. When Tomboy Meets GirlyBoy

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto

Zabuza's Seven

Chapter 9: When Tomboy Meets Girly-Boy

Using his natural charisma, and some fake passports, Zabuza managed to pass the checkpoint and enter Hot Spring Country with Naruto and Haku. The two boys, who for now were disguised as girls, were riding in the back of the wagon that Zabuza acquired.

When Naruto asked Haku why it was needed, he explained it was to enhance their cover as travelling merchants. Civilians would not be able to use sealing scrolls, thus they needed the wagon to carry the "goods" they were planning on selling.

Not to mention, as civilian girls, he and Naruto, or Chisato and Asuka as they were now known, would not be able to walk long distances most merchants did. Therefore, they would need alternate means of travel. Plus, riding in a wagon was fun.

Eventually, they made it to a hot spring resort town where they were supposed to meet up with Kimimaro and the Demon Brothers before joining Mist's rebellion forces. Zabuza decided it would be a good place for Kimimaro to rest after spending several days in Snow Country, and give his men time to unwind.

They dropped off their wagon in a secure location, taking the valuables with them. Zabuza kept the Decapitating Carving Knife sealed in a scroll, custom designed for the blade itself.

Zabuza, Naruto and Haku then entered the hotel where they would meet the rest of the team. Looking around the lobby, Zabuza appeared calm, but Haku could tell he was uneasy.

Since nothing was happening, Naruto asked Haku what was wrong.

"What's going on?" Naruto whispered to Haku.

"I don't know," Haku whispered back, "but master Zabuza seems worried. I believe it's because neither Kimimaro or the Demon Brothers are waiting to meet us."

While Haku spoke to Naruto, Zabuza approached the clerk at the desk.

"Excuse me, my name is Gorou Sano. I'm supposed to meet my nephew, Kudou Kouji, is he here?"

Kudou Kouji was Kimimaro's alias. He should have left a message with the bellhop informing him that if anyone matching Zabuza's description, and named Sano asked for him, to direct them to his room.

"Ah yes, he's had a room reserved for the past week. Oddly, he hasn't left his room for quite some time. His only visitors have been two rather strange fellows. Anyway, he's been expecting you for some time. Here's a spare key for his room, the number's on the tag."

Zabuza, knowing the strange men must have been Gozu and Meizu, the Demon Brothers, thanked the bellhop for his assistance. Gesturing to Haku and Naruto, his apprentices, old and new, followed him to meet with their fellow apprentice.

ZzZzZzZ

Inside one of the hotel rooms, Kimimaro lay prone on a bed. He was clad only in a pair of grey pants, and a wet towel covered his forehead. From his pale complexion, haggard breaths, and obvious fatigue, he was clearly ill.

Gozu and Meizu stood watch over him, unsure of his condition.

"Is he getting any better?" Gozu asked his brother.

"I don't think so. It's hard to tell with him though." Meizu replied.

Both were worried. They knew Kimimaro was very strong, but felt for him to succumb to death through an illness would be devastating for their group. Zabuza, who would most likely be upset at losing a valuable tool might take his anger out on them. Haku would be upset about losing a comrade, and neither Gozu or Meizu knew how that would affect his psyche.

As for Kimimaro, should he live through his ordeal, knowing he was weak and left vulnerable might affect his pride, confidence, and even Zabuza's faith in him. Kimimaro and Haku saw themselves as tools, and were willing to die if they became to be of no use to Zabuza. Such was their devotion to the man they considered their saviour.

A pounding at the door broke Gozu and Meizu from their thoughts. Soon, a voice bellowed out, sending shivers down their spines.

"Kimimaro!" Zabuza called out. They were in a private suite, so no other guests at the hotel would hear them. "You better open this door right now and tell me what the hell is going on!"

Fearing Zabuza's wrath, Gozu quickly opened the door, allowing Zabuza entry. Their leader stormed into the room, followed by what appeared to be two young girls. Gozu recognized one of them as Haku, but was unsure of the other.

The redhead, who seemed nervous, stayed by Haku's side, apparently following his lead. The brothers, knowing better then to question their leader, did not inquire as to the girl's identity.

Upon entering the room, Zabuza and Haku's eye's scanned the area, each searching for something, or someone in particular. Zabuza soon found Kimimaro and went to his side. Haku, seeing his master attending to Kimimaro, gestured to his companion.

"Let's stay back for now." Haku whispered to Naruto. "Master Zabuza seems upset. It would be best if we kept silent for now."

Haku and Naruto then moved to a corner of the room, keeping out of sight. While they made themselves scarce, Zabuza was judging Kimimaro's condition.

'_He doesn't seem to have been injured. He might have been infected by some disease while using his sword. It does carry such a risk.'_

Kimimaro's sword was called Blood Drinker. It was a long broadsword, or a broad longsword, that was dark red in colour. It can absorb the blood of those it cuts, using it to restore the vitality of it's wielder. The properties of it were based off of Zabuza and Kisame's own swords.

The problem was that it altered it's wielder's fighting style. Instead of killing or wounding your opponent in the most efficient manner, Blood Drinker encouraged it's wielder's to do so in the bloodiest manner possible.

Normally this would not be a problem for Kimimaro, or any Mist ninja. Trained as swordsmen from a young age, and growing up in a cold climate, Mist ninja learned to avoid getting their clothes wet or bloody. Wet clothes could lead to hypothermia, and bloody clothes were ruined.

It was considered a mark of skill among Mist ninja to be able to slaughter a large number of enemies without letting a single drop of their blood stain your clothes.

What made Kimimaro different was his bloodline limit. If he was forced to fight an opponent powerful enough to force him not only to use his sword for recovery, but also his own bloodline, he might have been exposed to foreign poisons.

Poison use was not uncommon among Mist ninjas, due to their assassination skills. The ones who used poisons usually had an immunity to them. However this also made them a carrier to them.

Should anyone have a poison users blood make contact with an open wound, or in Kimimaro's case, an opening where a bone was removed, they may become infected by a deadly poison.

In Zabuza's mind, that was the worst case scenario. Knowing neither he or Haku were knowledgeable enough of medicine to help Kimimaro, the Demon Brothers would have already checked if he was poisoned, and that Naruto still needed to see a doctor, Zabuza decided to find one.

"Alright, listen up." Zabuza called out to his loyal minions. "Gozu, Meizu, you two and I will search for a doctor. Haku, Naruto, you two stay here and guard Kimimaro. If there's anything you think you can do for him, do it."

Having given out his orders, Zabuza left the room, the Demon Brothers following him. Haku and Naruto then went over to Kimimaro's side.

"So this is Kimimaro." Naruto stated.

Haku did not reply, but checked Kimimaro's vitals using his limited medical knowledge. Soon enough, he was finished.

"There isn't much I can do for him." Haku said with a sigh. "The best I can do is use my bloodline to keep his fever down."

Pulling out and opening a water bottle, Haku began to cover Kimimaro's exposed flesh with a layer of water, just like he did with Naruto, who was unusually silent.

"Is something wrong?" Haku asked Naruto.

"I was just remembering," Naruto replied, "not long ago I was the one who was like this. If it wasn't for you, I might still be suffering from those nightmares, or even worse…"

Naruto trailed off at that point, not willing to imagine what he would have done to end his torment.

"Anyway," he continued in his trademark nervous pose, "it's kind of awkward for me, but I want to thank you again for everything you've done for me."

Haku merely smiled at him.

"It's no problem. You're like a little brother to me. I would do anything for you."

The two of them remained in a comfortable silence for a moment, until Naruto spoke up again.

"Hey, can you tell me again how you and Kimimaro joined Zabuza?"

"Well," Haku started, "it all began over ten years ago…"

ZzZzZzZ

In another part of the town, an elderly looking doctor was treating the victims of a recent epidemic in the area. They were contained in a makeshift quarantine tent. He and his apprentice were wearing hazmat suits to keep them from being infected.

While the doctor did his best to treat the victims, his young apprentice was doing their best to calm them, who seemed to be suffering greatly.

'_So much despair, I can almost feel the darkness in the air.' _The doctor thought to himself.

The seemingly good doctor was broken from his thoughts as his apprentice called out to him.

"Master Shinno, there's somebody here to see you."

The doctor, now known as Shinno, nodded at his apprentice.

"Thank you Amaru, I'll meet with them now. Stay here and continue observing the patients."

Shinno's apprentice, Amaru, resumed their bedside duties as Shinno left to meet their visitor.

ZzZzZzZ

Still disguised as a merchant, Zabuza stood before Shinno. The doctor had removed his hazmat suit earlier, and now wore a simple pair of blue pants, shirt, and a red, sleeveless vest.

"What can I do for you?" Shinno asked Zabuza.

"I'm in need of a doctor, and I heard you were in the area, and came highly recommended."

"That may be true, but surely one of the local doctors would suffice your needs? Why come to me for help?"

"I prefer my business be kept, discreet. Should you accept my offer, I'm sure you'll find it rewarding as well."

Shinno understood Zabuza's hidden message. He did not want any medical records kept, and would pay handsomely for discretion.

"Ah, in that case, just what can I do for you?"

ZzZzZzZ

Zabuza and Shinno now stood inside Kimimaro's hotel suite. The doctor had just finished his diagnosis of Kimimaro.

"Well, how is he?" Zabuza asked Shinno ,while mentally preparing for the worst, knowing of the recent epidemic.

"He has the flu." Shinno replied.

Zabuza blinked, and tried to come up with a coherent response.

"What?" Is all he said instead.

"Due to his unique physiology, he seems to be having trouble fighting it. No worries though, he should be fine in a few days. I can leave some medicine that will help him."

Zabuza was relieved that Kimimaro only had a flu, though he would not admit to himself exactly why he felt so.

"Alright then," Shinno spoke, "who's the other boy who needs a check-up?"

Zabuza gestured for Naruto to come over. Once he did so, Shinno began checking Naruto's vital stats. As he did so, his thoughts took a dark tone.

'_This, boy…, he appears to contain a vast amount of dark chakra, I can sense it within him. I thought it would take years to come across this much. With him, I can complete my ambition immediately.'_

Finished with his sinister thoughts, and Naruto's examination, Shinno addressed Zabuza.

"The boy is in perfect health. Whatever you have planned for him, he will be able to deal with it."

Naruto was quite relieved to have obtained a bill of clean health. Zabuza was as well, though again, he would not admit to himself why.

"Here's your payment." Zabuza said, handing Shinno some money, no longer needing his services.

Shinno took the payment and left, no one realizing what he was planning.

"Everyone listen up." Zabuza said, getting his subordinates attention. "We will remain here for now, until Kimimaro recovers."

He then looked over at the Demon Brothers.

"Gozu, Meizu, I'll need you to run some errands for me. Here's a list of what I need done."

The Demon Brothers nodded in reply. Taking the list, they committed it to memory, destroyed it, and set out on their appointed tasks. Zabuza then addressed his first apprentice.

"Haku, I'm sure now that you know Kimimaro will be fine, and Naruto's in perfect health, you'll want to resume training with your sword. Find a secluded spot to practice, I'll send Naruto to you later. Speaking of whom…"

Zabuza pulled out a roll of bills and tossed it to Naruto.

"Go buy some new clothes, then find Haku and continue working with him. Consider tracking him down part of your training."

Naruto, slightly upset Zabuza did not want to train him yet, but guessing he wanted to personally keep watch over Kimimaro, gladly accepted the funds and left to finally find something to wear that would not make him look like a girl.

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Excited that he would at last be wearing pants, and underwear that belonged to him, Naruto was merrily bounding down the street to find a clothing store, which did not help his image at all. At the moment though, he may not have cared.

'_I wonder if I can find anything orange? Not too much though, maybe just a little, with some blue, or black…'_

This time, Naruto did not have another flash of the nightmare visions. They had not returned since he accepted the offer of becoming Zabuza's third apprentice. Although he no longer suffered from them, they seemed to have left a lasting impression on him. He had acknowledged his faults, and was willing to correct them.

So caught up was Naruto in his joyous mood that he did not even notice someone in his path, and collided with that person, knocking the both of them into a mud puddle.

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Amaru was feeling down. The victims of the epidemic were numerous, and many would not survive. Shinno was working on a cure for their disease, while the best Amaru could do was ease their suffering. At the moment, Shinno had sent Amaru out on an errand, as he needed time alone to work on a special project.

'_I wonder if I should go to one of the public hot spring? That might make feel better. They only have mixed springs here though. Should I go to one anyway? I wish I had some sort of sign telling me what to do.'_

Not paying attention to the immediate surroundings, Amaru then collided with someone and fell into a mud puddle.

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"Ow, that hurt." Naruto said, getting up from his messy fall.

'_My clothes are all dirty now. At least I didn't lose my wig.'_

Said wig was actually held on quite tight by a special solvent.

'_I wonder what I ran into?'_

Looking around where he fell, Naruto noticed someone next to him, who was also getting up. The two of them then pushed themselves upright, and awkwardly stood in front of each other.

Both their faces were covered in a light layer of mud, so it was hard to tell if either was embarrassed. For a moment, they stood in silence, taking in the other's appearance.

'_I hope he's okay. Haku's right, I do need to be more aware of my surroundings.' _Thought Naruto.

' _Great, I just knocked another girl into some mud. I hope she doesn't start crying and make me pay for a new dress.' _Thought Amaru.

"Sorry." They said together at last, apologizing for their collision.

"Hey, are you alright?" Naruto asked the stranger.

"Uh, yeah, I'm okay." They replied.

"That's good. Oh, I'm Asuka, it's nice to meet you."

In his embarrassment over the situation, Naruto used his alias without realizing it.

"I'm Amaru. Umm, your clothes look pretty dirty now. Are you okay with that?"

Naruto looked down at his attire, which was now covered in mud.

"Huh, oh yeah, no it's okay. I was just out to get some new ones anyway."

Amaru inwardly sighed.

'_I should have known.' _

Knowing she was partly responsible for their unfortunate situation, Amaru decided to help Naruto out.

"I was just thinking of going to a hot spring. We could wash up there while they launder our clothes. I'd help you get some new ones too if you needed it."

Naruto, having little fashion sense, and not seeing a problem going to a public hot spring with another boy, as if it was not socially acceptable then they would not exist, decided to accept the offer.

"Okay then, let's go find one."

"They only have mixed bathing springs around here, so we'll have to find one with some privacy. I don't want any perverts spying on me." Amaru said.

Naruto briefly wondered why a boy would not want a girl spying on him.

'_I guess girls can be perverts too. I don't think want a girl watching me all the time and having bad thoughts about me.'_

"I hate perverts too. Don't worry, I won't let any find us."

Amaru was relieved by Naruto's statement. Brushing off as much dirt and mud as they could, the two of them headed off for to find an appropriate hot spring.

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Once Naruto and Amaru arrived at the hot springs, they changed out of their dirty clothes and briefly washed up in the showers, completely separately. Thus neither learned the other's true gender under entering the hot spring, which they believed to be empty, and removing their towels.

Naruto and Amaru stared at each other for a moment, both turning as red as their hair, before exclaiming the obvious.

"You're a boy!" Amaru shouted.

"You're a girl!" Naruto shouted back.

Amaru, still very red, but now from anger, did something that under the circumstances, was completely reasonable.

"Pervert!" She shouted at Naruto.

Amaru then splashed him with the very hot water. It did not hurt Naruto, much, but gave her a distraction to slip away. His skin stinging from the hot water, Naruto tried to figure out what just happened to him.

'_Amaru was a girl all along, and I just saw her…'_

Naruto was then jostled from his thoughts by a slap on his back.

"That was smooth kid." Said the stranger. "Pretending to be a girl to see one naked. Too bad it didn't work out."

Naruto, both embarrassed that the stranger thought he was trying to trick Amaru, and that he failed to notice his presence, took in the man's appearance.

'_Huh, long white hair, red lines on his face, a wart on his nose, why do I feel like I should know who he is?'_

Shaking his head, Naruto let some of his immature side slip out.

"I didn't do it on purpose! I thought she was a boy!" Naruto said in his defence. "She was dressed like one." he added with a pout while crossing his arms.

The elderly man sensed the boy was uncomfortable, and tried to make some small talk.

"So, what's your name kid? I'm Jiraiya by the way."

Naruto moved to one side of the spring while the man, identified as Jiraiya sat across from him. He then sighed, and explained his situation to Jiraiya.

"I'm an orphan. I don't have a name."

It was true. Naruto was an orphan, and Uzumaki Naruto was dead to the world.

"I was recently taken in by a boy and his guardian. He thinks of me like a little brother to him, which is nice, except he likes dressing like a girl."

The thought that he sprung Haku's trap never occurred to Naruto.

"He suggested I call myself Shippo, or Asuka if I want people to think I'm a girl."

Naruto probably should not be telling Jiraiya this, but something told him he could trust the older man. As he told his story, Jiraiya nodded along.

"Well," Jiraiya said at last, "what you have is a unique opportunity. Most people don't get to choose their names, and get stuck with rather odd ones. Right now, you can be whoever you want to be."

Naruto accepted that.

'_I guess that's true. I was used to being Uzumaki Naruto though. What do I call myself now?'_

"How do I come up with a good name for myself?" Naruto asked.

Jiraiya put his hand under his chin in a thinking pose, and held it for a moment, before snapping his fingers in triumph.

"I've got it. Tell me kid, are you an avid reader?"

Naruto's snort told Jiraiya all he needed to know.

"Well, I myself happen to be an acclaimed author." Jiraiya stated, not revealing what he wrote to his young companion. "While writing comes easy for me, one of the hardest problems I have is coming up with names for my characters."

Naruto merely nodded at Jiraiya's admission, not knowing where this was going.

"Anyway, a while back I had just come up with a great idea for my first book. The only thing I needed was the name for my main character. I thought about it for some time, but couldn't come up with a good name. So rather then worry about it more, I went back to eating my ramen."

Naruto's attention perked up at this point.

"I was just about to have some of it when I noticed a fishcake in the bowl. That's when I came up with the name for my character."

Naruto was left dumbstruck.

"What kind of a name is fishcake?" He asked Jiraiya, unaware that many people had the same thought when they heard his name.

"Not fishcake dummy, Naruto! Naruto means fishcake, and maelstrom too, but most people think of fishcake first."

The boy who used to call himself Naruto was even more dumbstruck.

"Tell you what, come with me." Jiraiya said, motioning for Naruto to follow him out of the hot spring.

Soon enough, they were back outside, and dressed in their normal clothes, or normal for Jiraiya anyway. Naruto noted they both wore red and green, and Jiraiya's accessories as well.

'_He must be a ninja. That scroll is big, he must have a lot stored in it. I've never seen a forehead protector like his either. I wonder what village he's from?'_

While Naruto was pondering Jiraiya's affiliation, the older man was looking through his backpack.

"Where is it? I know there's a copy here somewhere. Ah, here it is!"

Jiraiya then pulled out a book.

"This is the book I was telling you about."

He then pulled out a pen, and signed it.

"Here's it's yours now. I even autographed it for you."

Jiraiya handed the book to Naruto, who silently read it's title.

'_Tales of a Gutsy Ninja.'_

"Go ahead and read it. I'm sure you'll like it. Who knows, maybe Naruto would be a good name for you. If not, well, I'm sure something will come to you in time."

Naruto started at the book, actually considering reading it.

"I have to go now. If you ever figure out who you are, let me know, and I'll add a dedication as well."

Just as he was about to leave, Jiraiya stopped suddenly.

"Oh yeah, one more thing."

He then rummaged through his backpack, before taking out a familiar frog purse and handing it to Naruto.

"I noticed you had a lot of money on you. It's a good thing it wasn't ruined or lost. You should keep it in this. It belonged to someone else, but you'll need it now more then he will."

Naruto was rendered speechless. He thought his old coin purse was lost with his old life. He did not care how Jiraiya came to have it in his possession, but was ecstatic to have it back in his. Just when he was about to thank Jiraiya for returning it to him, he noticed the man was gone.

'_Where did he go?' _Naruto wondered.

Looking around, Naruto saw no trace of Jiraiya. Strangely saddened by his departure, Naruto put his new book into an inner pocket, vowing to read it later. He then filled Gama-chan with the money Zabuza gave him, and set out to empty it once more.

ZzZzZzZ

Auhtor's Notes: TheKyuubi27 was the only experienced writer who offered to be a beta, so I'd like to thank him for his help.

The title of this chapter is based off the phrase "when boy meets girl."

I was going to reveal the abilities of Haku's sword here, but I'll save it for later, during the next big fight. It should be clear who it will be against.

I hope everyone likes my choice for Naruto's pairing. I had Amaru in mind for as long as I've had the idea for this story. I hope her meeting with Naruto also explains why I kept him dressed like a girl all this time.


	10. Seeking Help From Healers

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto

Zabuza's Seven

Chapter 10: Seeking Help From Healers

Hot Spring Country, having demilitarized, only had civilian clothing stores. There used to be military surplus stores that sold shinobi attire, but with a limited stock, they eventually closed down. Nowadays, most clothing stores catered to the local industry, whether it be logging, fishing, or agriculture.

Naruto, not really possessing any fashion sense whatsoever, simply picked out something with a bit of orange that looked good, as well as additional attire based on the aforementioned careers.

Exiting the clothing store, Naruto felt like a new man. Or to be more precise, he felt like he was a twelve year old boy again instead of a girl. Which was odd, as he was dressed similarly to the last girl he met.

As his wig was still bonded to his head to keep it from accidentally coming off, Naruto purchased a black bandana like Amaru's to conceal his long red hair. Once he was able to take the wig off, Naruto planned on keeping the bandana on at all times until his hair grew back.

While searching the store, he found an orange shirt with black sleeves, and matching black pants. A black vest with an orange outline concealed the orange of the shirt.

The store did not sell shinobi sandals, so Naruto instead opted for a pair of boots. Given what he had heard of Water Country's cold and wet climate from Haku, he believed they would be a better choice.

Finally, Naruto purchased some socks and underwear in bulk. You can never have too many of either, and he was growing uncomfortable borrowing Haku's boxers.

Overall, Naruto's new look resembled a colour swapped version of Amaru's outfit. Examining his reflection in the store's window, Naruto thought the same. Thinking of Amaru, which he was trying not to do, made him blush as he remembered their unfortunate revelations of their true genders.

'_I should ask Haku for help in controlling my emotions.' _Naruto thought to himself, believing it to be a good way to hide his embarrassment. _'Although, he doesn't seem to be that good at it himself.'_

Naruto had not been around Haku and Zabuza long enough to know, but he was the first person to elicit an emotional response from Haku since the deaths of his parents. Not even Zabuza had brought out so much joy or sadness from him.

It was also one of the reasons Zabuza sought to have Naruto join their group. He would be the friend for Haku, and soon, Kimimaro that Zabuza could not bring himself to be, and the glue that kept them together. Otherwise, they may lose their humanity and become the demons they were referred to as.

'_I really should do something to make up for what I did.' _Naruto thought, regarding his situation with Amaru._ 'I don't know too much about her though, other then that she's the apprentice of the doctor who examined me, and that she dresses like a boy.'_

While he pondered how to get Amaru to forgive him for their unfortunate meeting, Naruto carried out his other purchases of spare clothes and searched for a private location. Finding one, he pulled out a storage scroll and sealed away his remaining new clothes into it, along with his old ones.

'_It's a good thing Haku showed me how to use these. Why didn't Kakashi teach us this? It would have been better then carrying around those heavy backpacks.'_

In a matter of moments, Naruto's goods were sealed away. Setting the scroll down for a moment, Naruto thought about what to do next.

'_I guess I should look for Haku now and join him for some training. Zabuza did say just finding him would be a good tracking exercise. Maybe he can help me with my problem with Amaru too…'_

Placing his hands into his the unique hand-seal for the shadow clone technique, Naruto then created half a dozen shadow clones. He handed the scroll with his extra clothes to the nearest shadow clone, who took off to return them to the hotel.

The others, knowing they needed to find Haku, took off to do so. They were a part of Naruto, and knew what he did. As soon as they were formed, they knew what they were needed for. Therefore, they did not require to be ordered around.

As the chakra used to create them would be wasted if they dispelled early, and Naruto gained their memories and experience, Naruto decided to take full advantage of his signature technique, and not let them go to waste.

After the shadow clone with his clothes returned them to Kimimaro's room for safe keeping, it's job was to then study the few textbooks available to their group, whether it wanted to or not. Naruto's intelligence, or lack thereof, was a crippling weakness, and needed to be corrected.

The other clones, after finding Haku, would have whoever found him dispel to alert the others, who would then join them for their training in whatever Haku determined they needed to work on next.

As for the real Naruto, he began the warm-up drills Haku had him perform during his recovery. Whatever his new comrade had in mind for him would not be easy, and Naruto wanted to be prepared for it.

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In a secluded clearing outside of town, Haku gazed at his handiwork. He had just finished practicing his swordplay, and a test of his sword's abilities. Judging by the circle of smoothly cut trees and rocks a distance around him, his sword performed beautifully.

Haku had just put his sword away, when he sensed someone approaching him. His instincts told him that the one approaching him was not a threat, so Haku decided to have some fun. Taking out an acupuncture needle, he deftly threw it behind it himself with a flick of his wrist, causing it to pin a sleeve of his observer to a tree.

The shadow clone of Naruto merely looked at the needle, back to Haku, back to the needle, and wondered how he did it. Settling for asking directly, and completely forgetting to dispel, it pulled the needle out and walked up to Haku, who had not moved an inch the entire time.

"How did you know I was here? I thought I was hiding pretty well." The shadow clone asked Haku, who had turned to face it, believing it to be the real Naruto.

'_Well, it's not complete yet, but he might be able to help me with it. His loyalty is not in question, at least not to me.' _Haku thought for a moment.

Although Zabuza and Haku wanted Naruto to join them, and made the offer, Zabuza still had a slight concern regarding Naruto's loyalty. Hence why his only training focused on his weak points. Should Naruto betray them and return to the Hidden Leaf Village, he would not have learned anything of too much value.

Such fears were unfounded, as Naruto did not need to prove his loyalty to them. Rather, they proved their intentions were benign with their treatment of him. Naruto's loyalty now lay with whoever needed him the most, and right now, Haku needed a friend, Zabuza needed someone to help regain his humanity, and the Hidden Mist Village needed someone to free it from tyranny.

"Alright, I don't see the harm in explaining it to you." Haku said, making up his mind. "We are brothers in arms now, so we shouldn't have too many secrets between us."

Some might say Haku was taking a risk, and that a ninja should keep all of his secrets, even from those they call their friends. For Haku, something told him that he could trust Naruto.

"It's an elemental technique. Simply put, it allows me to detect changes in air currents and moisture levels in the area. I put of some of my charka into the air, effectively creating a sensor field." Haku explained. "I'm still working on it though. Unfortunately, it requires quite a bit of concentration, so it can't be used in battle. At least, not yet." Haku finished, slightly disappointed he was still having trouble with the technique.

Before Naruto's near-death experience, an explanation like that would have gone over his head completely. Now, he understood that air and moisture referred to the wind and water elements, and instantly thought of ninja techniques.

"So that's how it works? That's really cool!" Naruto said excitedly. "Can you teach me how to do it? I might be able to help you with it."

"I might be able to, depending on your elemental affinity." Haku replied. "It requires you to possess a wind and water affinity, as I have both due to my ice release bloodline-limit. I guess we'll have to test your affinity now."

"Okay, but I'm not very good with tests." Naruto joked.

Haku giggled, perpetually amused by Naruto's antics.

'_I'm glad you're with us now. Things are definitely looking up for all of us.'_

Haku temporarily pushed his happy thoughts aside, and entered lecture mode. Naruto noticed his change of demeanour, and straightened up accordingly.

"The method of determining one's elemental affinity varies between each hidden village. The Hidden Leaf Village uses chakra paper grown from special trees, while the Hidden Mist Village uses a special type of water. The common factor between all methods is that each one causes your chakra to react in different ways according to your element."

Naruto nodded along, in a somewhat understanding manner. It at least made sense to him that each village tests affinities in different ways, using their most common resource.

"We have none of those testing devices available, so we will have to test you the old fashioned way. I will show you how to perform a ninja technique from each element, and we will determine your affinity based on which one you perform best."

At the mention of learning five ninja techniques, even if he might only be able to perform one of them, Naruto's excitement levels skyrocketed.

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On the outskirts of the village, in a cabin near a makeshift quarantine tent, Amaru paced furiously.

'_That idiot, that pervert, who the hell does he think he is? Tricking me into going into the hot springs with him. For that matter, why the hell are they mixed bathing only? Don't they know that's just asking for perverts to come out of the woodworks?'_

For quite some time now, Amaru had been pacing, while mentally ranting, unable to forget the incident, for reasons she did not know, or did not want to admit.

Needing her assistance, Shinno entered the cabin to check on her. Amaru returned from her break in a bad mood, and Shinno sent her to their cabin to cool down. It would hurt her bedside manner if she maintained her unpleasant attitude, which the dying patients would not appreciate.

"Are you feeling any better?" Shinno asked, although he felt he already knew the answer.

"No." Amaru responded with a shrug.

Amaru stopped her pacing, and sat down on a nearby couch. Shinno took seat on an adjacent couch. Both were silent for a moment, lost in their own thoughts.

"Why don't you tell me what's wrong?" Shinno asked, speaking up first. "It may make you feel better."

Amaru sighed, and began her tale.

"It all started earlier today, when I ran into someone…"

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'_Well, that was interesting.' _Haku thought to himself.

He had just finished showing Naruto five ninja techniques, one from each element. Haku expected that Naruto may be able to show an inkling of success with one technique. He would then show Naruto the basic elemental manipulation exercise for it, which would keep him busy for some time, until they were ready to resume his normal training.

To Haku's surprise, not only did Naruto perform the wind release: great breakthrough adequately, displaying a powerful wind affinity to compensate for his lack of elemental manipulation, Naruto almost succeeded with the water and earth clone techniques. On the other hand, he failed miserable with the fire release: grand fireball, and lightning release: shadow clone.

'_It's obvious that wind is Naruto's primary affinity. That is very good. He may even have a secondary water and earth affinity as well, in equal power with each other. How is that possible? Does he possess a bloodline-limit as I do? Then again, water and earth manipulation are similar. He might just have one as a secondary. Still… '_

In the end, Haku decided put the possibility of Naruto having a bloodline-limit aside, adding to the growing mystery that was his new comrade. Naruto could very well have an innate talent with elemental manipulation to explain his skill. Haku was just about to show Naruto the leaf cutting exercise, but Naruto disappeared, leaving only a cloud of smoke.

'_He was a shadow clone all along? I guess he ran out of chakra. Oh well, the real Naruto will find out now and find me as well soon enough.'_

With that, Haku went back to his exercises. Now that he had his sword back, he would need to maintain the strength necessary to wield it.

ZzZzZzZ

"And that's everything that happened." Amaru said, finishing her tale of adolescent woe.

Shinno kept up a concerned look for Amaru's well being, but he was inwardly groaning at having to deal with his apprentice's boy troubles. This was definitely something he did not enjoy.

"I can see how that would be quite embarrassing," Shinno began, "and how you would think it was a cruel trick. However, from an outside point of view, it sounds like a rather unfortunate, and slightly humorous, accident."

Amaru, having calmed down slightly from telling her story, and possibly from just being in the comforting presence of her master, let out a "hmph", not seeing any humour in the situation at all.

"I'm sure that boy feels just as embarrassed as you do, and wishes to make up for it. If you see him again, you should give him that chance. Right now though, I need my assistant's, well, assistance, and I also need her to be in a bright, smiling mood to give some comfort for those who are suffering and do not have much time left to live. Can I count on you to be that bright assistant?"

Breathing deeply to let out her anger, and knowing she was needed, Amaru finally settled down, and slowly went back to her usual self.

"Alright, I can put aside my anger for now, considering there's people who need me." Amaru said.

"Very good." Was Shinno's simple reply.

'_I guess if I saw something like that happen to someone else, it might be kind of funny,' _Amaru thought, _'and now that I'm not so angry at him, that boy was kind of cute…'_

Having let go of her anger, Amaru's emotions and thoughts shifted accordingly.

"Still, that doesn't mean I'm forgiving him, even if it wasn't; entirely his fault. He has to do something to earn it first." Amaru stated. "What I really want to know is why the hot springs are mixed only? Isn't that just asking for trouble?" Amaru asked Shinno.

"Yes, that's the idea." Shinno replied, taking some pleasure in Amaru's stupefied look. "Due to the recent outbreak of diseases, the population of the country is declining. Changing their hot springs to mixed bathing was one of many methods of increasing the birth rate. Unfortunately, this has had an effect on their tourism industry, which was already quite large. Most of the people getting together as a result are not native to Hot Spring Country. I doubt the policy will be in effect for much longer."

Having heard much stranger tales in her life, as the elemental nations were known as "the place where anything can happen", Amaru accepted Shinno's explanation.

'_That's not nearly as bad as the legend of the time a village enacted a clan restoration act. There's a good reason why polygamy is illegal. I wonder if the townsfolk ever found that guy's head?'_

Feeling a bit better now, Amaru left for the decontamination showers to prepare for treating their patients again, unaware of Shinno's wicked grin.

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As he continued his exercises, Haku sensed what must be the real Naruto approaching him, not even trying to conceal his approach. He was alone, as his other shadow clones, except for one, were already dispelled.

"You're not even going to try and sneak up on me?" Haku called out to him, pouting slightly, apparently wanting to test Naruto's reflexes again.

"Nah." Naruto responded, waving it off, "you knew I'd be here soon, and with that technique of yours, even is it's incomplete, you'd sense me soon enough." He finished with a shrug.

Looking around, Naruto finally noticed the circular swath of destruction, while Haku took the time to judge Naruto's new suit, something they were too distracted to do before.

"How did you do all this?" Naruto asked, examining some of the smoothly cut rocks and fallen trees in the area.

"It's simple really. I used my sword." Haku replied.

Naruto looked back at Haku incredulously.

"No way, you're not even close to anything, and I don't see a sword anywhere!"

Haku smirked, and raised his right wrist, which had a handkerchief tied around It, to Naruto's point of view. Haku pulled the handkerchief off, revealing an intricate snowflake tattoo.

"You can't see my sword because it's sealed away. I acquired this sealing tattoo only recently, while Kimimaro took my sword to Snow Country for maintenance. I just applied it earlier." Haku said, tying the handkerchief back around his wrist. "As for the range issue, that's due to one of the special properties of my sword, which you'll learn all about when you're ready to challenge me."

Naruto was slightly upset that Haku was keeping his sword's capabilities a secret, but guessed it was so Haku could surprise him with it later. Although Haku had been forthcoming with some of his skills, it was clear that his best ones would be saved for when Naruto was ready to challenge him in a serious spar. That would only occur when Naruto's skills were sufficiently advanced.

"That's pretty cool, but why do you keep it covered up?" Naruto asked, tilting his head like a confused puppy.

"Someday we'll be registered Mist ninja, not tools of a missing-ninja." Haku began with a slightly sad look on his face, and ignoring the look on Naruto's face at the mention of being someone's tool, "this seal will identify me as Haku of the Yuki clan, future member of the Seven Shinobi Swordsman of the Mist. Right now, I'd like to enjoy being Chisato, an ordinary civilian while I still can."

'_I guess that makes sense.' _Naruto thought to himself. _'It explains why he acts differently, and wears a mask when acting as a ninja. Still, that must cause problems for him…'_

Naruto's thoughts were cut short when Haku started speaking again.

"So this is the outfit you picked out? I see you couldn't resist getting something with a little orange."

Naruto's vest was open, exposing the orange parts of his shirt.

"You're not still having any nightmares, or bad visions, are you?" Haku asked in a concerned manner.

Naruto shook his head.

"No, the medication you gave me works great. I haven't had any bad dreams, or any for that matter."

Concerned about Naruto's mental health, Haku used his limited medical knowledge to concoct a potion to keep Naruto from dreaming, and cut off one of the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon's methods of driving him to insanity. Unfortunately, it was only a temporary solution, as not dreaming would eventually have the same effect. At some point, Naruto would have to gain the strength to resist the fox's dark influence on his own.

Uncomfortable with the current topics of his clothes and mental health, Naruto changed it to one he was still somewhat uncomfortable with, but wanted to deal with.

"Say, can help me with something? I met a girl earlier today, and it didn't go too well." Naruto asked Haku, still slightly embarrassed from the experience, or possibly from asking for help with it.

"Sure, I'd be glad to help." Haku replied with a smile, in an almost foreboding manner. It was as if helping Naruto with girl troubles was something he would take a sick pleasure in. "You can tell me all about it while we do our work-out routine. First, make some shadow clones, and I'll direct them into groups to work on strengthening your remaining weaknesses. If you do well enough, you might be able to start elemental manipulation soon."

Excited as ever over the prospect of learning how to be a better ninja, Naruto did as Haku asked. After the shadow clones were divided into teams, Naruto and Haku settled into their work-out routine, and Naruto explained to Haku his unfortunate first meeting with Amaru.

ZzZzZzZ

Having cheered up Amaru, and finished tending to their patients, Shinno retired to his quarters for the night, and began readjusting his plans.

'_Today has been most fortuitous for me. Not only have I discovered a boy with a large amount of dark chakra within him, Amaru met him as well. Now, to use this to my advantage.'_

Sitting at a desk by the window, Shinno gazed out it at the night sky, his hands intertwined before him in a strangely familiar manner.

'_Dealing with teenage anguish was not something I looked forward to when I made Amaru my assistant. Perhaps it's time I cut her loose. Her mood swings will only hurt my goals in the long run.'_

Sighing, Shinno lamented the parts of his plan that were unfortunately required, like raising a teenage girl.

'_I should be more strict with her. However, I needed to insure her loyalty to me for some time longer. While her present attitude is beneficial to my ultimate plan, for now, I require her to act as my cheerful young assistant.'_

Getting up from the desk, as he felt thirsty, Shinno went to the nearby kitchen to pour himself a glass of water.

'_While I need Amaru to gather dark chakra, which can easily by done by having her act in a harsh manner with others, causing them to act harshly towards her, I am a doctor first and foremost. A good bedside manner is important. It helps with repeat business, and my reputation.' _

Filling the glass, Shinno returned to the desk by the window.

'_A grumpy assistant will not help me gain any more business, as people would be more inclined to deny our assistance. Treating unhealthy patients is a good source of dark chakra, and in the long run, a steady source of dark chakra is worth playing the part of the gentle teacher. Now though, I have found a veritable goldmine of dark chakra within that boy.'_

As he admired the night sky while quenching his thirst, Shinno continued to formulate his dastardly plans.

'_Amaru's attitude problem needs to be solved for now, that is, if I plan on keeping her by my side. She would absorb a much greater amount of dark chakra from prolonged exposure to that boy. That is, if she stays by his side instead of mine. How to get them together though?'_

Finished his glass of water, Shinno placed it into the kitchen's sink, and returned to his quarters.

'_Yes, I think I know just the way to deal with them, as well as another thorn in my side. I only need one item, just for safety's sake.'_

Shinno searched through his notebooks, looking for something specific.

'_Ah, here it is.'_

Staring at the design for a tracking seal in his notebook, Shinno grinned maliciously.

'_Things are beginning to go my way. I may even be able to enact my plans ahead of schedule. If only there was some sort of disaster in the Hidden Leaf Village that would weaken their security, and provide need for a talented doctor…'_

Putting his musings an the notebook to the side, Shinno climbed into bed.

'_That's enough for tonight. I have much work to do tomorrow. People to heal, old enemies to be alerted of my whereabouts, young lives to be manipulated. All in a days work.'_

With that, a man who was planning on someday taking over the world, or destroying it in the process, slept peacefully through the night.

ZzZzZzZ

Making their way back to the inn after a long day of training, as well as coming up with a possible solution for Naruto's situation with Amaru, he and Haku were looking forward to getting some rest. At first, they walked with an arm around each other's shoulder for support, since they were both very tired, but broke apart after a passer-by said they made a cute couple.

"So, how much better do you think I've gotten" Naruto asked Haku.

Glancing around to make sure no one was listening in on them, Haku answered.

"It would be nice to improve your chakra control further, but you've made quite a lot of progress in that area. It's the amount of chakra you possess that's the problem. Most shinobi don't gain the amount you have until they're adults. Since they're gradually increasing their reserves, their control gradually increases as well, making it easier for them to maintain good chakra control. Your large reserves are a double-edged sword, so we'll have to redesign some chakra control exercises to fit your needs."

Naruto nodded along, understanding the emphasis on his chakra control. Due to his large chakra reserves, Naruto would be a powerhouse with ninja techniques. His advantage with his reserves would not be one if he was wasting a large amount of chakra with each technique, hence the need for increasing his control.

"Other then that, you're coming along fine in all other areas, except for illusions. I can't help you there though. It shouldn't matter as the fighting style we developed for you should work quite well, especially with your recent improvements."

Naruto began grinning, both from Haku's praise and the thought of trying out his new style.

'_I can't wait to try it out! Zabuza's going to be in for a surprise!'_

Since Haku helped him design the tactics for Naruto's new fighting style, it would not be a fair test to spar against him using it. Therefore, Naruto's first serious test with it would be against Zabuza, when he was ready to judge Naruto's skill level. Should he prove sufficiently advanced, Naruto would be ready to begin learning swordplay and the art of silent killing, while continuing learning elemental manipulation and ninja techniques with Haku.

Soon enough, the pair reached their destination. After checking in with Zabuza to inform him of the day's events, and seeing if Kimimaro's condition had improved, Haku claimed the washroom. Too tired to fight for it, in his exhaustion, only now remembering that Haku would be there for some time, Naruto settled for going right to bed.

Passing by the shadow clone that was sent to drop his extra clothes off, and spend it's remaining lifespan studying, Naruto dispelled it. Flooded by a wave of memories and, in his opinion, boring facts, Naruto's mental exhaustion caught up with his physical exhaustion, and he passed out onto his futon, and into a dreamless sleep.

ZzZzZzZ

Author's Notes: I think I've figured out the focus for the story. It'll be centered around the Seven Swordsman, and focus on their bonds with each other and the people in their lives. That doesn't mean there won't be any action, there'll be a bit of everything.

I still didn't explain what Haku's sword does, did I? I'll give you a hint. I came up with it, along with Naruto, Kimimaro, and another person's sword before the canon swords were revealed. Except for Kimimaro's, all of them stay with the fish theme of the swords revealed in the manga. I don't know if, or how, the Thunder Pikes, Helmet Splitter, Splash and Sewing Needle fit the fish theme.

I liked how Shinno's plotting how to make Amaru suffer while going about his mundane nightly routine. I thought it would be better to have his plan explained through his thoughts rather through the narration, which would just explain his actions.

I did once read it's better to keep the villain's plans a secret, so I'm not sure if this was good or not. If I hadn't already explained some of his intentions, anyone who hadn't seen NSTM2:Bonds wouldn't even know he's a villain.

Finally, and most importantly, I'd like to plug another story that deserves some notice. It's "Drabbles and One-Shots" By Garm88. He has some good views on how things in a military village should happen, which is a nice change of pace.

One mini-series within it, "The Demon-Shark and the Fishcake" is worthy of it's own full length fic, if someone with enough skill, talent and experience can come along to make it great. Garm88 is considering doing it himself, so send him some support. It's easily a contender for one of the better "Naruto as a Mist ninja" stories.


	11. Make up, Pay up, Kiss up

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto

Zabuza's Seven

Chapter 11: Make up, Pay up, Kiss up

It was the next morning, and Naruto was ready to track down Amaru to make up for their unfortunate meeting. He had explained the incident to Haku, who assured him it was just an unfortunate, and depending on your point of view, humorous accident. He suggested a good way for Naruto to break the ice with Amaru, and put their embarrassing meeting behind them. So now Naruto was on his way to find Amaru.

On the other side of town, Amaru herself was planning on looking for Naruto. After thinking it over, neither of them was in the wrong, but Amaru felt she owed Naruto an apology for her reaction to their gender reveal. After asking for permission to take the day off, and receiving it from Shinno, Amaru set out to find Naruto.

Coincidently, both set out to find each other at the same time. Since both were looking for each other it could have been expected that they would search the village for hours and not see each other. Rather, both Naruto and Amaru went straight to the place they last saw each other, with a plan in mind of starting from that point. Unexpectedly, they ended up finding the person they were looking for right away.

"Amaru…" Naruto said, gulping as he thought of what he was going to say to her.

"Umm, do I know you?" Amaru asked, not yet recognizing Naruto.

"Uh, yeah, my name's Naruto," he said, taking a deep breath, "we met yesterday, under some unfortunate circumstances."

Amaru's eyes widened in surprise, and then narrowed in suspicion as she scrutinized Naruto's appearance.

"It is you…" Amaru said after a moment, unaware her gaze had been making Naruto uncomfortable.

_'This is getting weird. I should just say I'm sorry and get it over with.' _Naruto thought to himself.

His skill with reading body language was not yet developed, as Naruto did not notice that Amaru now appeared uncomfortable as well.

_'I didn't expect to find him so soon. I guess I should just get this over with now.' _Amaru thought to herself.

"I'm sorry!" Both suddenly blurted out, surprising the other.

They stood in silence for a moment, neither expecting an apology from the other.

"You don't have to apologize," Naruto said, speaking up first, "I should have told you I was a boy when we met. I slipped up and gave my alias instead."

"It's partially my fault too," Amaru said, ignoring the alias comment for the moment, "I didn't tell you I was a girl either."

Neither noticed it, but the awkward gap between them was closing as their voices became louder, and their faces redder.

"I ran into you first," Naruto said, getting even closer to Amaru, "I should have been paying attention to where I was going."

"I wasn't paying attention either," Amaru countered, bringing her face directly in front of Naruto's, "so I'm the one who should be sorry!"

Their faces, red from anger, were now mere centimetres from each other. Naruto and Amaru's eyes were locked on to each other with a furious glare. They held in that position for some time.

"Oh will you two just kiss already?" A voice that was strangely familiar to Naruto called out to them.

Naruto and Amaru's eyes widened in surprise, and their faces were now red from embarrassment. They quickly looked away from each other, trying to determine the source of the voice.

"I don't see anyone." Naruto said, speaking up first.

"It's not surprising; it's still early in the morning." Amaru answered.

"It must have just been some pervert trying to find a good place to spy on bathers." Naruto surmised, not knowing how right he was.

"Why bother, it's mixed bathing? He could just join in." Amaru wondered.

Their earlier tension had been broken by the suspected perverts outcry, but at Amaru's mention of mixed bathing, both remembered what they would simply refer to in the future as, "the incident." Slowly, they turned to face each other, still blushing furiously, as their thoughts took a rather hormonal turn.

_'Amaru looked much nicer then Sakura, and she seems to be in better shape. Sakura's always dieting, so she must be real thin, even if she's a ninja.' _Naruto thought, his views on Sakura having changed since his rebirth.

Amaru, as a doctor's apprentice was on a balanced diet, and received plenty of exercise from her long travels with Shinno across Fire Country and it's neighbouring lands. Even though she was trained to be a healer and not a fighter, Amaru's physical condition was better then that of many of Sasuke's admirers.

_'Naruto's not so bad, I guess. He seems to be in good shape from what I could tell. I didn't even notice any scars on his body, not that I was looking at it much.' _Amaru thought to herself.

"I thought you looked really pretty," Naruto suddenly spoke up, catching Amaru off-guard, "so, why do you dress like a boy?"

"Why were you dressing like a girl?" Amaru retorted quickly, pleased she was able to do so.

Naruto blinked, it was his turn to be caught off guard now. His confusion did not last long as he quickly started grinning, while scratching the back of his neck.

"Heh heh heh," Naruto laughed, "you got me on that one. How about this? I won't pry into why you dress like a boy if I don't have to say why I was dressed like a girl."

"That's fine," Amaru agreed, "I'm not sure I wanted to know why you were dressed like a girl, or using a girl's name anyway. Besides, I think you look better now. You look like you're dressed like me. I especially like the bandana." She finished, pointing to Naruto's new fashion accessory.

"You do? I got it after seeing how you used yours to conceal your hair." Naruto explained, taking it off to show it better to Amaru.

Too bad Naruto forgot he took his wig off, and now his short, fuzzy blond hair was exposed. Amaru, who clearly remembered him having long red hair like herself, pointed it out.

"Um, Naruto, did you shave your head after I last saw you?" Amaru said, pointing to Naruto's partially covered scalp.

Reacting to Amaru's question, Naruto began to pat his head, feeling the prickly sensation of his newly grown hair.

"Oh yeah, I forgot. I lost all my hair recently and I was wearing a wig until yesterday." Naruto answered, retying his bandana on his head.

"Huh, so how did you end up losing all your hair?" Amaru asked curiously.

"I was burned and buried alive." Naruto answered completely honestly.

Amaru nearly face-faulted at hearing Naruto's Cassandra truth.

"You need to learn how to lie better. That was the most ridiculous thing I've heard. Next you're going to tell me you're really a prince of a long lost nation, heir to a fortune from a wealthy businessman and the son of one of the greatest heroes who ever lived." Amaru ranted.

_'But, that was the truth…' _Naruto thought, not stupid enough to interrupt Amaru when she began ranting._ 'Hey, all those sound like cool things to be! I wish I could honestly say that about myself.'_

For a brief moment, Naruto lost himself in a fantasy where his father was the Fourth Hokage, his mother was the princess of a lost country, he had one of the strongest shinobi alive as his instructor, and all the people of the Hidden Leaf Village loved him.

_'Yeah right, like that could have happened. If I was the son of the Fourth Hokage and a princess, I wouldn't have been the village pariah, even if the fox was still sealed inside me.'_

Letting go of his fantasy, as daydreaming was a dangerous pastime for shinobi, Naruto returned to reality, and noticed Amaru staring at him.

"What?" He asked, feeling slightly uncomfortable being under Amaru's gaze.

"Sorry," Amaru apologized, breaking eye contact for a moment before responding, "you seemed to drift off for a moment there. You weren't actually daydreaming about being all those things I said, were you?"

Naruto's sheepish grin was all Amaru needed to know she hit the nail on the head.

"Well, don't worry about it;" Amaru said comfortingly, "everyone has dreams like that. It's just up to us to make them a reality," she finished with a confident tone.

At the mention of dreams, Naruto briefly remembered his old one.

"Say, what's your dream?" Naruto asked Amaru, now curious about hers.

"Huh, I was just about to ask you the same thing." She replied.

Deciding to take a chance, Naruto tried something he had never succeeded in before.

"Why don't we tell each other our dreams over lunch? I found a nice sushi restaurant nearby. It's not as good as ramen, but then again, nothing is."

"Umm, okay," Amaru said, acquiescing to Naruto's request with a blush, "but you're paying though!"

"What, why me?" Naruto exclaimed.

"Because the gentleman always pays for a lady's meal on the date. Or are you not a gentleman?" Amaru said as she narrowing her eyes at Naruto, put her hands on her hips, and leaned forward menacingly at him.

"Hell yeah I am!" Naruto cheered before grabbing one Amaru's hands, which caused her to blush more.

At the sound of the word, "date", Naruto's mind had gone into overdrive. With altogether too much enthusiasm at the prospect of his first date with a girl, Naruto, still with one of Amaru's hands in his, took off running, dragging her with him. Amaru, also excited about having her first date, and silently pleased by Naruto's enthusiasm, tried her best to match his pace.

"Hey, be more careful! Don't you know how to treat a lady?" Amaru yelled out as she and Naruto ran out of sight.

On a nearby rooftop, easily within hearing distance of Naruto and Amaru's conversation for an experienced shinobi, a white-haired, not so elderly male finished scribbling down in his notepad.

"Not bad, the kid could have done better though. Still, I can work with it, and I'm sure he'll be fine. He still has a lot to learn though."

Putting away the notebook, the man let out a sigh.

"I really should have been the one to teach him too." He lamented, before disappearing, leaving no trace of his presence.

ZzZzZzZ

Naruto and Amaru were now sitting at a table at the sushi restaurant Naruto suggested, and were waiting for their meals. Both were nervous about being on their first date, even though it was not a romantic one. Luckily, their enthusiasm, more so in Naruto's case, dwarfed their nervousness or embarrassment, making it easier to adjust.

Needless to say, as neither had been on a date before, they were quite inexperienced. Amaru had to point out to Naruto that it was considered polite for him to pull out her chair for her, among other things. She was rather forgiving of him for it, as she wanted to focus on enjoying the date. After they forgave each other for their unfortunate meeting, which they agreed neither was at fault for, forgiving any little thing that came up was easy.

Now that they were settled, Naruto and Amaru shifted their focus to the purpose of the date, discussing their dreams.

"So, now that we've got time, will you tell me your dream now?" Naruto asked Amaru. "I'll tell you mine if you do."

"Okay, that sounds fair." Amaru replied, before taking in a deep breath. "When I was younger, I was very sick. My parents died before then, so I was alone. In fact, I was always alone. The people of my village shunned me, like I was a leper."

"Amaru…" Naruto said quietly, feeling empathy for Amaru given their similar pasts.

"One day, Shinno-sensei came by my village and healed me. He was the first person to show any kindness towards me. I wanted to be just like him, so I started dressing like him and followed him around, insisting he train me."

Naruto let out a little laugh at that.

"So that's why you were dressed like a boy. I was only dressed like a girl because I didn't have any clothes of my own, and had to borrow some from my foster brother."

Blinking, and deciding not to think too hard about why Naruto's foster brother had girl's clothes, Amaru continued her story.

"At first I wanted Shinno-sensei to teach me to be a ninja, so I could avenge my parents. Instead, he started teaching me medicine, and to be a healer. I use my skills to save lives now instead of ending them. So I guess my dream now is to be a great doctor and save as many lives as I can."

Naruto was nodding along, but one part of Amaru's story he disagreed with.

"Saving lives is great, don't get me wrong, but being strong to protect your precious people is good too. You can save just as many lives by fighting against the people who seek to harm others. It's how you use your strength that separates the good from the bad."

"I've been taught that anyone who harms others, no matter the intent is bad." Amaru countered, crossing her arms.

Naruto gulped, and phrased his next words very carefully.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. I just meant that sometimes you have to fight to protect those you care about."

Amaru sighed, and relaxed herself.

"No, it was my fault. It's a sensitive topic and I'm the one who brought it up. It's not your fault you have a different opinion from me. Besides, we came here to discuss our dreams, not argue about them."

Naruto let out a sigh of his own in relief, and he and Amaru settled into a brief moment of silence.

_'Amaru's past sounds like mine, but it's more like Haku's. We were both alone, until we found someone who treated us with kindness.' _Naruto thought to himself, briefly remembering Iruka and the Third Hokage. _'She has Shinno to teach her now, and I have Haku and Zabuza.'_

"So, what's your dream?" Amaru asked, breaking the silence.

Naruto paused for a moment, thinking about how to phrase his response.

"I was like you, all alone in my village. I'm an orphan too, and I've never known my parents. The people of my village ignored me as well, and I hated it. I used to play pranks to get their attention, but I know now all I did was annoy them and make them dislike me even more." Naruto said, slowly tightening his fists.

"Naruto," Amaru began, noticing his growing unease, "you don't have to say any more if you're uncomfortable."

"No, I want to tell you my story. Besides, you show, uh, I mean told me yours." Naruto responded, almost slipping up.

Amaru's face began to redden slightly, as did Naruto's, as they realized they had literally and figuratively exposed themselves to each other. Luckily, she did not comment on it, and let Naruto continue.

"One day, the leader of my village came to see me. He was the first person who was nice to me. I noticed how everyone respected him, and decided that I would become the leader of my village someday, so that everyone would have to respect me."

Naruto paused to take a few deep breaths to remain calm before continuing.

"I know now that I was being selfish. Being a leader takes a lot of responsibility, and with my attitude I would never be one. Now, I'm not going to seek power for respect, but so I can use it to protect everyone who is precious to me."

Like a mantra, Naruto repeated that phrase.

"To become strong enough to protect everyone precious to me, that is my dream."

Now that he was mostly done, Naruto started to relax at bit.

"I recently left my home village, so I'm can't be its leader now. I'm hoping someone I used to know becomes the leader for it I couldn't be." He continued, thinking of Sasuke and Konohamaru. "I was also in pretty bad shape for a while, until a traveling merchant and one of his apprentices found me. They watched over me until I was better, so I'm with them now. Now my goal is to help them accomplish their dreams, as they help me with mine."

"I guess that makes sense," Amaru said, now having heard Naruto's story, "it sounds like things in your village weren't so great. I'm not surprised you decided to leave when someone asked you to."

"It wasn't that bad," Naruto said, trying to remember the good times he had in the Hidden Leaf Village and the few people he would miss, "I guess it could have been a lot better though."

"Well, you wouldn't know if things would be better elsewhere until you left, right?" Amaru asked. "Besides, it's not like you can't go back, not that I think you should."

"I guess so…" Naruto said, unsure of what to think of that.

_'I can't go back though. I should have been declared dead by now. Huh, I wonder if the villagers threw a party to celebrate the death of the demon. Nah, the old man would never let them get away with it. Besides, almost everyone didn't like me, and if they were all busy partying and getting drunk, it would be a huge security risk.'_

Their food was being brought out now. Amaru noticed the waiter heading their way. She stayed silent, noticing Naruto was deep in thought and did not want to disturb him.

_'I don't think anything would change if I did go back. Even if Kakashi started training us seriously, and Sakura and Sasuke started being nicer to me, I doubt they'd keep it up for long. Besides, after Haku and Zabuza saved me, I don't think I can betray their trust by leaving them. I'm going to be a Mist ninja someday, I need to accept that.' _Naruto continued thinking to himself.

As Naruto finished his thoughts, their food arrived at last. With a short blessing, he and Amaru helped themselves to their meals. Their conversation was light after that, as they focused on enjoying their food. When they were done, Naruto paid for the meal, and escorted Amaru from the restaurant back to the cabin she and Shinno were staying in.

"I guess this is it, huh?" Naruto asked, believing it to be the last time he would see Amaru.

"I guess so." Amaru replied.

"I'm glad things are fine between us now, considering how we met." Naruto said, cheering up a little.

"That's true. I did have a good time. It was a nice break from my usual routine. You're an okay guy. I could have done worse for a first date." Amaru said, now starting to feel better herself.

"Thanks, I think." Naruto said, mumbling the last two words.

"Okay, goodbye Naruto." Amaru said, turning away from him and heading toward the cabin's door.

"Wait!" Naruto called out to her.

Amaru looked back at Naruto, who seemed to be blushing slightly.

"Since this is the last time we'll see each other, and we did just have a nice date, how about a good-bye kiss?" Naruto asked, taking a wild shot in the dark.

"What?" Amaru yelled in surprise, making Naruto instantly brace himself for anything.

"It's okay if you don't want to!" He said, cowering slightly, protecting his head with his hands.

Amaru's surprise at Naruto's boldness was topped by her confusion at Naruto's behaviour.

"What are you doing?" She asked him.

"You're not mad? You don't want to hit me?" Naruto asked in return, blinking in surprise.

"No, what kind of person would I be to do that?" Amaru asked back.

"There was a girl in my village I always asked out." Naruto began to explain, loosening his defensive posture. "Whenever she thought I annoying her, she'd hit me."

"She sounds like a bitch to me. Why would you ask her out if she treated you like that?" Amaru asked, her interest in Naruto suddenly piqued at his mention of another girl.

"I really don't know anymore. I just know I've always liked her for some reason, even though she only liked this one guy. She'd always flirt with him and he'd turn her down. Then I'd ask her out and she'd reject me, sometimes violently. I'd then go play a prank on someone to cheer myself up." Naruto explained.

"So let me see if I have this straight," Amaru began, "she's nice to the guy she likes, who's not nice to her at all, but varying degrees of violent toward you, who, based on what I can tell of you, has only been kind to her, although she found it annoying?"

"That sounds about right." Naruto responded, shocked at how simple the interaction of the former team seven could be described.

"Well, it's her loss than. If she's too hung up on some jerk when she could have a nice guy like you then she deserves to be rejected by him every time. Still, if it wasn't for shallow girls like her, the rest of us would have a hard time finding the nice guys like you." Amaru said, cheering Naruto up greatly.

"Thanks." Naruto replied simply, blushing from Amaru's praise.

"Don't worry about it. Besides, I've read a lot of stories about violent, tsundere girls like her and nice guys like you. Most of the time, they got together in the end. That's why I'm sure you'll find a nice, violent girl that's just right for you someday."

"Huh?" Naruto said aloud, a little confused.

_'Now that I think about it, Sakura did seem cuter when she was mad. She was normally sickeningly sweet around Sasuke or shy when she was younger. Did I really annoy her on purpose just to see that side of her?' _He thought while remembering all the times he saw that side of her. _'I guess I did like seeing that confident side of her,_' Naruto thought as he remembered his interactions with Sakura, _'but why did I let myself get hit by her so much? I must be a masochist.'_

"Thanks Amaru. I think I understand myself a little better now." Naruto said to her.

"You're welcome. I'm glad I was able to help." She replied.

Looking at Naruto now, who was happily smiling, and still blushing slightly, Amaru felt her own face heat up.

_'Should I kiss him like he asked? He is a nice guy, we had a surprisingly good time, and this is probably the last time I'll ever see him…' _Amaru thought to herself.

Steeling herself, Amaru closed the gap between herself and Naruto, who easily noticed her actions. Their faces became redder, and Naruto was sure he could hear their heartbeats. He closed his eyes in anticipation, and began to pucker his lips, while Amaru did the same. When their faces were close enough that they could feel the other's breath, they tilted away from each other. A bit clumsily, as it was their first time, they locked lips, sharing their first kiss with the opposite sex.

_'I finally got to kiss a girl!' _Naruto inwardly cheered.

After a few seconds, they hesitantly parted.

"That was great." Naruto said, still blushing.

"Yeah." Amaru said, a bit sadly.

"I'm glad my last memory of you is a good one."

"Me too."

They were silent for a moment; the only noise was the blowing of the wind.

"Well, goodbye Amaru." Naruto said, trying to stay happy.

"Goodbye Naruto." Amaru said, sad to see him go.

With that Naruto headed out. Amaru watched him until he's was out of sight. Letting out a sigh, she entered the cabin, and began preparing to resume her medical duties.

"I wonder if I'll ever see him again." Amaru wondered out loud.

It would be all too soon when she did.

ZzZzZzZ

A little while later, Naruto was looking for Haku to continue his training. Haku was not in the field they trained in yesterday, so Naruto was searching elsewhere. He paused in his search when he heard someone stumbling nearby.

"Is that Dr. Shinno?" Naruto wondered out loud.

Running over to them, Naruto confirmed it was him.

"Hey Dr. Shinno, what's wrong?" Naruto asked him.

"It's Amaru, she's been kidnapped by missing-ninja from the Hidden Cloud Village." Shinno said suddenly, before passing out onto Naruto.

Setting Shinno down on the ground, Naruto wondered just what he was supposed to do next.

ZzZzZzZ

Author's Notes: Hmm, that's a lot of Naruto/Amaru interaction. Romance still isn't a major focus of this story, just present as the source material seriously lacks any. It's mainly here to enhance the story. The primary focus is still on the Seven Swordsman, who will be the main characters, with Naruto pre-eminent among them. The pairings for each swordsman, if they have one, will be more like side plots. That said, this arc will have the most Naruto/Amaru interaction for a while. Amaru will get a bigger part in a couple of future arcs though.

I hope I'm doing a good job of portraying Amaru. She seems like Sakura, except without the ninja skills. She has skill with traditional medicine and a powerful demon sealed in her to make up for it. I'm going to make her seem more like Kushina, which she has a few surprising similarities too, as well as Naruto himself.

Has anyone ever read "From the Ashes", "The Nuke-Nin Chronicles", and "Rises the Flame" by peppymint? It's one of the better, and funnier, missing-ninja Naruto fics. I didn't notice it until now, but there's a similarity between how Naruto became a missing ninja in that series and this story. They're all in my favourites, so check them out.

There's also a slight correlation between phoenix mythology in both stories, but that won't play a part in this one. Phoenix summons are overdone, and I've settled on summoning contracts for the main characters.


	12. The Resolve to Fight

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto

Zabuza's Seven

Chapter 12: The Resolve to Fight

Naruto's day had just taken a turn for the worse. Not too long ago he and Amaru had parted on very good terms, though they still had conflicting beliefs that would remain unresolved. Now, if Shinno's words were to be believed, Amaru had been kidnapped by missing-ninja from the Hidden Cloud Village.

Shinno, in his haste to find either Amaru and her captors, or help, had just stumbled onto Naruto by sheer luck as it would seem. Still unsure of what action to take, Naruto settled for propping Shinno against a tree and waiting for him to awaken, which happened moments later.

"Hey, Dr. Shinno, are you okay?" Naruto asked the elderly appearing doctor.

Shinno gave a slight nod in response, as he was still catching his breath. Naruto offered him a bottle of water, to which he received thanks for. Shinno greedily drank it down, and slowly, his breathing returned to normal. When it did, he addressed Naruto.

"Thank you, I'll be fine now. I just exerted myself too much in my haste to follow Amaru's trail." He said, still sitting against the tree.

"That's great and all, but what happened to Amaru? You said she was kidnapped?" Naruto asked, his concern for Amaru and possible lack of any for Shinno showing through.

Sighing, Shinno began to explain the situation.

"We don't have much time so I'll be brief. A trio of missing-ninja I encountered once before are in the area, and have taken Amaru hostage in order to use her as leverage against me."

"Why would they do that?" Naruto asked.

"Vengeance, simple as that." Shinno responded. "I met them years ago, when they had been severely wounded after fighting off bounty hunters seeking to claim the price on their heads. They sought shelter in a nearby town I happened to be in at the time. Due to my oath as a doctor, I was compelled to treat them, regardless of their affiliations or intentions."

Shinno let out another sigh at this point before continuing.

"Unfortunately, they grew to like the idea of a doctor working full time for them. They tried to coerce me into working for them. I refused, and used a paralytic agent to immobilize them before alerting the authorities to their whereabouts before leaving town. The Cloud missing-ninja escaped, and vowed vengeance against me. Kidnapping Amaru is just a means to obtain it."

As Naruto listened to Shinno's story, his fists tightened as he held back his anger.

_'Why? All Dr. Shinno did was try to help them, and Amaru has to suffer for it. Is this what the world is really like? No matter how much good you do, will innocent people always suffer?' _Naruto wondered as the dream of a peaceful world for shinobi and civilians was shattered by the cruel harshness of reality.

Despite the recent developments in his life, and learning of Zabuza and Haku's pasts and their intentions, a part of Naruto, that of an innocent child, still clung to the beliefs he once had. That part of him was almost gone now.

"Listen, I know I was paid to keep quiet, but I know you and your companions are shinobi and I need your help." Shinno said, surprising Naruto and gaining his attention. "We don't have much time, so if you care about Amaru, you'll come with me now."

"Right, hold on a second first. Shadow clone technique." Naruto called out, putting the thought that Shinno knew he was a ninja aside in favour of saving Amaru.

In an instant, half a dozen shadow clones of Naruto shimmered into existence and immediately ran off, each in a different direction.

"They'll go find the others I was with and get back-up. Now, earlier you said you were following Amaru's trail?" Naruto asked Shinno.

"Yes, I noticed a piece of her bandana had been left behind. I thought it may have been torn off in a scuffle, but there is actually a trail of them leading in a certain direction. I believe Amaru left it for us to follow." Shinno explained.

"Alright than, what are we waiting for, let's go save her!" Naruto declared.

Slowly getting up, Shinno began to smile at Naruto's exuberance.

_'Yes, things are going according to plan.' _Shinno thought as he and Naruto followed the trail left by Amaru's tattered bandana.

ZzZzZzZ

"Alright, this appears to be the place." Shinno said, observing a small camp outside of town.

Having followed the trail Amaru had appeared to leave for them, Naruto and Shinno eventually found where she was being held captive by the Cloud missing-ninja. Said ninja were not present, but Amaru was, tied to a tree trunk. Naruto was eager to rescue her, but was concerned about the situation.

_'I haven't received the memories of any of the shadow clones I sent to look for Haku yet, not even from the first batch. The one I sent to the hotel room did dispel though. Zabuza is out and won't return for some time, and Gozu and Meizu can't leave Kimimaro's side without leaving him vulnerable. I guess it's just up to me now.' _Naruto thought, resolving to save Amaru on his own.

"I don't see any sign of the Cloud missing-ninja, do you?" Naruto asked Shinno.

"No, I don't." Shinno replied.

"Okay than, let's move in and rescue Amaru." Naruto said, briefly focusing his chakra.

Stepping carefully, Naruto and Shinno crept into the camp, alert for any traps.

"This is easier than I thought it would be." Naruto whispered to Shinno.

At the very moment Naruto uttered that phrase, a cage made of electric bars formed around him and Shinno.

"You just had to say that." Shinno said, chastising Naruto, who did not seem too bothered by being caught.

"Well, look what we caught." A voice called from out of nowhere.

"I can't believe they fell for out trap." Another responded.

"Damn, we were so foolish." Shinno remarked as the two men who spoke appeared before them.

Still not surprised by the turn of events, Naruto calmly gauged the Cloud missing-ninja's appearance.

_'Let's see, they're a pair of burly, dark skinned men. Hmm, must be taijutsu types who focus all their effort on being physically strong over learning ninja techniques. That makes them the muscle of the group. They appear to be dressed similarly, in loose fitting pants, and are shirtless except for their vests, which are similar in design to the standard vests worn by Cloud ninja. They wear their slashed forehead protectors on their foreheads, signifying their status as missing-ninja. They must be tough if they're not trying to hide that fact. I'd say they must be B-rank at best. I wish I knew their bingo book entries, but I don't have one yet.'_

"You didn't honestly think a captive would be able to leave a trail would you? We left it on purpose to lure you here." The first of the Cloud missing-ninja said.

"That's right brother," the next said, identifying them as brothers, "we knew you had been dealing with ninja in the area, and were hoping to claim any bounties on their heads. Too bad all you brought was a kid."

"You both speak too much." A third voice called out, before it's owner appeared.

Naruto was quick to analyze this one as well.

_'Let's see, blond hair like mine, but his eyes are darker. Fair complexion and a small looking build. His shirt and pants appear to fit well, so he must need them to do so for better movement. His vest appears to be more armoured, so that must be for better protection. He's obviously the leader, and probably a ninjutsu type like me. He should be an A-rank opponent at best. This does not look good.'_

"What does it matter boss? We're going to kill them now anyway, right?" Burly brother one said, speaking up.

"I suppose that's true, but next time keep your mouth shut!" The leader of the Cloud missing-ninja said, disciplining his subordinate. "As for you Shinno, it's time you paid the price for your previous indiscretions against us. Good-bye."

As he said that, the electrical bars around Shinno began to send jolts of their power into him. Shinno let out a pained cry before disappearing in a cloud of smoke, leaving no trace of his presence.

"What, a transformed shadow clone?" The leader of the Cloud missing-ninja said before looking back at their hostage.

Without further word, he threw a kunai at Amaru, shocking his subordinates that he would eliminate their leverage against Shinno before they did so to him. When the kunai made contact with Amaru however, she disappeared in a cloud of smoke, revealing a log in her place.

"A substitution as well. So," the leader of the Cloud missing-ninja said, turning his attention onto Naruto, who had just been struck by his subordinates. This caused Naruto, like Shinno and Amaru, to disappear with a cloud of smoke, leaving no trace of his presence.

_'Another shadow clone? So they knew about our trap and turned it against us.'_

"I'll deal with your incompetence later, for now, move out and find them!" The leader of the Cloud missing-ninja ordered, as he and his subordinates began to search for Shinno, Naruto and Amaru.

ZzZzZzZ

As Naruto raced through the tree tops while observing Shinno carry Amaru below him, his eyes momentarily widened in surprise as he gained the memories of his shadow clones left behind to distract the Cloud missing ninja.

"My shadow clones have been destroyed, the Cloud missing-ninja will be after us soon." He called out to Shinno.

"Damn, we're still too far from the village. At my pace, we won't make it back in time." Shinno said, partly ashamed his slower pace would be their undoing.

Taking a risk, he set Amaru down and began examining her.

"What are you doing? We don't have time to stop!" Naruto asked, glancing around nervously, expecting the Cloud missing-ninja to appear at any moment.

"I can't keep up with you; I'm just slowing you down." Shinno admitted, injecting Amaru with a drug to counter the effects of the one the Cloud missing-ninja gave her to keep her unconscious. "It's me the Cloud missing-ninja really want, not you and Amaru. If I stay behind, I might be able to slow them down long enough for you and Amaru to make it to safety." He finished as he also finished examining Amaru, who began to awaken.

"You don't have to do that, we can still make it!" Naruto said optimistically.

"Huh, what, make it?" Amaru mumbled as she slowly regained consciousness.

Seeing her begin to awaken, Shinno gave her a careful look, as if it would be the last time her saw her. Making up his mind, Shinno untied his bandana and tied it around Amaru's head.

"Go, take Amaru and run while there is still time." Shinno said to Naruto in an almost commanding fashion.

Naruto was about to comply when a familiar voice interrupted them.

"You should have listened to him sooner boy, now your hesitation it's going to cost you your life." The leader of the Cloud missing-ninja said as he appeared.

"Run now, while you still can!" Shinno yelled back to Naruto as he charged the leader of the Cloud missing-ninja.

Obeying what would be Shinno's final request, Naruto tried to pick up Amaru, but found himself suddenly stuck in place.

_'What! I can't move; it's like my body is paralyzed.' _Naruto thought panicky.

"Nice paralysis technique brother." One of the burly brothers said as he and his brother appeared behind Naruto and Amaru.

Frozen in place, he and Amaru, who had just regained complete awareness of her surroundings, could only watch in horror as Shinno battled the leader of the Cloud missing-ninja.

"It's time for you to die Shinno," the leader declared, not winded at all by Shinno's attempts at combat as he formed a series of hand seals, "lightning beast running technique!"

A hound formed of electricity began to form from the Cloud missing-ninja's hand. It charged at Shinno when it was fully formed, the tired doctor too weak to evade it. When it struck him, there was a bright flash, and when it faded, all that was left of Shinno was a vaporized field where he had fallen.

"Shinno-sensei!" Amaru cried out in horror at seeing her beloved mentor killed before her very eyes.

_'Damn, Dr. Shinno died and I was too weak to save him.' _Naruto thought as his anger at the situation continued to rise.

"Would one of you shut her up?" The leader called out to his men.

_'What! They're going to kill Amaru?' _Naruto thought worriedly.

"Sure thing boss." The man not presently restraining Naruto through an unknown lightning technique replied.

_'I have to do something!' _Naruto thought as he felt a strong desire build within him.

Putting all his strength into moving his arms and hands into the ram seal, Naruto focused on pulling out as much of his chakra as he could. In an instant, a bright blue sphere of chakra appeared around Naruto, completely energizing him.

_'What, where did all that power come from?' _The other man who was about to kill Amaru wondered.

_'I can't hold him in place anymore!' _The man restraining Naruto thought.

The surge of Naruto's chakra had broken the electrical bonds paralyzing him and Naruto was free to move once more. Forming the unique hand-seal for his signature technique, Naruto prepared to battle the Cloud missing-ninja.

_'It's time to use the new strategy Haku helped me come up with.' _Naruto thought, looking forward to a fight after so much downtime despite the odds against him.

"Shadow clone technique!" Naruto called out as a dozen shadow clones appeared, three around each of the Cloud missing-ninja and another three covering him and Amaru.

"Don't worry Amaru," Naruto said, trying to comfort the grief stricken girl, "I won't let any of my precious comrades die." He said, mirroring something Kakashi once said in a similar situation.

"Naruto." Amaru whispered in awe, her life in Naruto's hands.

"They're only shadow clones, we can take them." The leader of the Cloud missing-ninja called out to his men.

"You may be chunin, or even jonin, but three genin working together can fight just as well as one." Naruto declared, remembering the bell test, Kakashi's lessons of team-work and the lessons on co-ordination Haku gave him. "Let's go!"

The battle was then on.

Moving quickly, Naruto's shadow clones engaged the Cloud missing-ninja directly, seeking to split them up. The trio's of shadow clones quickly put Naruto's new knowledge of battlefield strategies to use, separating the Cloud missing-ninja and creating three separate fights.

_'Divide and conquer, teams can be highly effective because of their ability to work together, so separating them should even the odds.' _Naruto thought, putting Haku's lessons on tactics to use.

Each trio of shadow clones were currently circling their opponents, seeking an opportunity to strike. Curiously, in each trio of shadow clones, none appeared to have the same weapon. Some were holding kunai, some had shuriken ready to throw at a moments notice, while others appeared content to fight unarmed.

"You think a punk like you can stand up to us?" One of the burly Cloud missing-ninja said as he blocked a punch from a shadow clone.

When he went to counter-attack, the shadow clone used the replacement technique to dodge. When that happened, another shadow clone attacked from the Cloud missing-ninja's blind side, throwing several kunai at his unprotected arms. He seemed to expect it though, and evaded the shadow clone's attack with ease. The Cloud missing-ninja would then redirect his attention to the newly attacking clone, which would do it's best to dodge his attacks before being forced to use the replacement technique to escape. A barrage of kunai or shuriken would distract the Cloud missing-ninja, and the cycle would repeat.

"Don't get too distracted, they're just copies!" The other burly Cloud missing-ninja called out to his brother as he dealt with the shadow clones he was fighting.

While protecting Amaru, Naruto was also studying his opponents. The Burly Brothers, as they had been dubbed by Naruto who did not know their real names, were the closest to him, and therefore the ones he was studying the most.

_'I knew it! They are taijutsu specialists. They're just fighting hand-to-hand so far.' _Naruto thought excitedly as his confidence in his odds increased.

Unfortunately, he was still at a disadvantage. The Burly Brothers were adults with years of experience and training, while Naruto was in many ways still a child, and had the physical strength to match. A punch or a kick from Naruto was as effective as a fly bite, while a single hit from the Burly Brothers would dispel Naruto's shadow clones regardless of the strength put behind it. In short time, Naruto's shadow clones were beaten.

"Shadow clone technique." Naruto said as he formed several more to replace their fallen predecessors.

_'So far so good, I'm stalling them for now, but I don't know if I can keep it up for much longer.' _Naruto thought as he focused on the battle at hand.

Due to the current battle consuming his focus, and the number of shadow clones being dispelled, Naruto had been unable to sort through the memories he received of any of the shadow clones he created that day. Any thoughts that were not related to insuring his and Amaru's present survival were ignored. As for Amaru, who was now standing behind Naruto, she was too terrified to think straight.

While the Burly Brothers were engaged close-by with Naruto's shadow clones, their leader was slightly further away. His battle with Naruto's shadow clones went largely unnoticed.

"Damn kid, you're annoying." The leader of the Cloud missing-ninja said as his went to strike at a shadow clone, only for his wakizashi to pass through an ordinary clone that had been mixed in with the shadow clones.

The sound of a transformation being broken coming from behind him caused him to reflexively turn around and prepare for an attack. As he expected, there was a shadow clone attacking him with it's kunai drawn where a rock was before. The leader of the Cloud missing-ninja then began to duel Naruto's shadow clone, while dodging the kunai and shuriken thrown by the other shadow clones.

_'This is not going well. I'm at a disadvantage. Worse, I'm getting beaten by copies of a kid!' _The leader of the Cloud missing-ninja thought to himself.

Due to his focus on intellectual growth and developing his lightning affinity, he was not as well suited for close-quarters combat like Naruto, who's stamina and quick healing would keep him in a fight for a prolonged period. To supplement his weakness, he wielded a pair of ordinary wakizashi. They did him little good, as Naruto had become quite skilled at dodging. The leader of the Cloud missing-ninja was unable to use any ninja techniques either, as Naruto's shadow clones were not giving him the time he needed to perform the hand-seals needed to use any.

_'I've only got one shot at beating this kid. It'll take most of my chakra, but it should work.' _The leader of the Cloud missing-ninja thought again.

Knowing he needed to eliminate the original to stop the endless shadow clones, the leader of the Cloud missing-ninja put as much distance between himself as Naruto's shadow clones as he could. Focusing most of his chakra, he prepared of combination of techniques to ensure his victory.

_'Alright kid, here's your opening, let's see you take it.' _He thought again.

As the leader of the Cloud missing-ninja appeared to be standing still, Naruto's shadow clones moved in to finish him. Several kunai and shuriken were launched, all aimed at non-vital areas. When they hit their target, he disappeared, leaving a log in his place. Knowing they had been outmanoeuvred, the shadow clones ran back to their creator's position and to his aid. When they were gone, the log disappeared in a cloud of smoke, and the leader of the Cloud missing-ninja reappeared.

_'Not bad kid, I guess I owe you one for showing how an e-rank technique can still be used effectively.' _He thought, giving slight praise to his opponent as he pulled the kunai and shuriken out from his armour, and set out to end the fight.

The real Naruto, who was still focused on guarding Amaru stayed sharp, watching out for any attacks that came their way. The shadow clones acting as sentries were their first line of defence, and were to be used as replacements to avoid a lethal hit. Luckily, they had not yet been needed for that purpose.

_'This is looking bad.' _Naruto thought pessimistically. _'Even if Amaru and I tried to run, we wouldn't be very fast, as I'd have to stay at her speed. If I carried her, we could move faster, but than I wouldn't be able to use hand-seals, and summon more shadow clones to distract the Cloud missing-ninja. Even now, we can't leave because I have to keep making shadow clones. If we tried to run, they'd get beaten, and we'd be caught soon enough. I could tell Amaru to make a run for it, but she looks too scared right now. I guess the best I can do right now is stall until help arrives.'_

Naruto was broken from his thoughts as he was knocked down by one of his shadow clones, which was promptly dispelled by a lightning enhanced kunai. Glancing at Amaru, she was still standing, the shadow clones guarding her now gone as well.

_'Damn, I really need to work on getting my shadow clones to replace me and each other. My situational awareness needs work too. I shouldn't have to rely on my shadow clones to save me.' _Naruto thought as he got up.

Now standing, Naruto was face-to-face with the leader of the Cloud missing-ninja, who was charging at him. Not having time to create more shadow clones or even think, Naruto quickly pulled out a kunai for his defence.

The leader of the Cloud missing-ninja led off with a swing from the wakizashi held in his right hand. Naruto instinctively ducked, and expecting the leader of the Cloud missing-ninja to use his momentum to follow-up with a kick from his right leg, rolled to his right. The leader of the Cloud missing-ninja was holding the wakizashi in his left hand in a defensive posture, ready to deflect any attacks from that side. Naruto was about to put some distance between themselves so he could form more shadow clones, when the leader of the Cloud missing-ninja began to laugh, which surprised Naruto.

"I'm an idiot; I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner." He said as he stabbed himself with his wakizashi.

Naruto was surprised yet again, as instead of bleeding, the leader of the Cloud missing-ninja's form turned into electricity, revealing it was a lightning release: shadow clone all along. The static field generated by it's dispelling left Naruto, who was getting tired from repeatedly generating shadow clones, paralyzed once more.

"Naruto!" Amaru cried out in fear for her protector.

"It's okay Amaru; I said I would do anything to protect you." Naruto said, using the last of his remaining strength. "You were the first girl my age who was ever nice to me, and I'll never forget that. As long as you're safe, that's all that matters to me."

With those final words, Naruto collapsed at Amaru's feet. The young medic looked down at him in a mixture of shock at his words, awe of his strength, and fear for their safety.

_'Naruto, you were willing to sacrifice yourself for me just because of the little time we enjoyed together? Why? Why would you do that for me?' _Amaru thought, not yet understanding Naruto's motives.

Now that the real Naruto was losing consciousness, his remaining shadow clones began to dispel. For a brief moment, a smile appeared on Naruto's face as he received their memories before passing out.

With the resistance gone, the Cloud Missing-ninja's attention was directed at Amaru. Seeing she was on her own now, Amaru began to panic.

_'What do I do? I'm a healer, not a fighter.'_

Amaru slowly began to back away from the forms of the Cloud Missing-ninja, who in a state of security, had begun to relax and were taking their time in restraining her and Naruto. Amaru was able to note that their leader appeared winded for some reason, as if he used up a lot of energy. That did little to appease her fear, as she was still vastly outmatched. As her fear for her safety grew, visions of her past flashed before Amaru's eyes.

A child who was an outcast, ignored by their village…

One person recognized that child, and risked their life for them…

Being recognized and wanting to be just like the person who recognized them…

Those memories were just another reminder to Amaru that the only person who had shown any kindness to her had been killed before her eyes. She was about to turn and run away, when she tripped and fell face first into the ground, eliciting a laugh from her former and soon to be current captors.

Ignoring their laughs, Amaru pushed herself up, and as she did so, she noticed Naruto's prone body lying before her. A different and more recent set of memories flashed before her eyes.

_'Saving lives is great, don't get me wrong, but being strong to protect your precious people is good too. You can save just as many lives by fighting against the people who seek to harm others. It's how you use your strength that separates the good from the bad.'_

Those were the words Naruto spoke to her earlier that day. Amaru could hear them clearly, as if Naruto was repeating them. At the time, she had taken offence at them, but now, seeing Naruto before her, paralyzed from assuring her safety in favour of his own, she began to understand them.

_'Naruto, I thought I was alone now that Shinno-sensei is gone, and I had no one left in this world. I was wrong. You're still here, and you were willing to fight to protect me. I get it now, sometimes you have to harm others to save those you care about from harm. I'm sorry for not understanding sooner Naruto, but I do now, and it's my turn to protect someone special to me now.'_

Standing strong now, and moving to place herself between Naruto and the Cloud missing-ninja, Amaru drew her scalpel and held it in a defensive posture.

"So, the little nurse wants to play hero?" One of the Burly Brothers said tauntingly.

"Isn't that cute, she thinks that little knife of hers is a deadly weapon." The other Burly Brother joked.

"This is a real shinobi tool, a true deadly weapon." Their leader said, holding a kunai.

To demonstrate it's deadliness, he threw it at Amaru, who, not having faced a real battle before, and despite her new found resolve, flinched under the pressure. She closed her eyes, to afraid to face her death.

_'I'm sorry Naruto; I guess I'm not meant to fight after all.' _Amaru thought sadly.

The kunai never hit her though. Amaru, wondering why she was not struck, opened her eyes, and noticed a long haired person wearing a battle kimono standing before her, the kunai that would have killed her held in their grasp.

"Sorry I'm late," the newcomer said, "but you know what they say, the hero always arrives at the last possible moment."

ZzZzZzZ

Author's Notes: Writing fight scenes is hard. This one took a lot of work, and I'm still not 100% satisfied with it.

I had originally titled this chapter "The law of conservation of ninjutsu", and would explain how it applied to Naruto. I don't know if that scene will make it into this story, but it might make it into a side-story or drabble someday. I could probably write a full essay too on my stories if I wanted to. I'm just not sure where an appropriate place for it would be.

I hope Amaru's choke at the end didn't make her compare unfavourably to a few certain other characters. Remember, she's a civilian medic, so she's a healer and not a trained and experienced ninja, who should have no excuse for doing so under the circumstances. Amaru won't be becoming a ninja, and this incident will just ensure that. She did accept Naruto's beliefs, and is okay with him fighting now.

If anyone is still curious as to why I don't like using Japanese, it's because I have seen too many errors in fanfics with its use before and I respect the language enough not to contribute to its misuse.

I think that's it. If anyone has any other questions, feel free to let me know. Getting to interact with readers and authors is one of the better parts this site.


	13. Letting Go and Moving On

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto

Zabuza's Seven

Chapter 13: Letting Go and Moving On

The Cloud missing-ninja looked on at the interloper in a mixture of curiosity and fear. While the Burly Brothers were concerned by the appearance of someone who appeared to be a Mist hunter-ninja, their leader was more cautious.

'_He just appeared out of nowhere to save her. Why would he expose himself like that?'_ He thought while trying to determine the hunter's motives.

While they were adjusting to the change of opponent, the one they defeated was waking up.

"Haku," Naruto managed to wheeze out, identifying their saviour, "you stole my line."

"I know," Haku said with a smile, though it was hidden by his mask, "consider us even for using my precious people line. Now let me take care of this." He finished, his expression becoming serious for the coming battle, not that anyone could see it.

Amaru, seeing who she assumed to be Naruto's cross-dressing foster brother come to their rescue, grabbed Naruto and pulled him away from the coming scuffle.

Both sides were in a stare down, which was strange as one was masked. The Burly Brothers were over their initial surprise, and now appeared more confident in their chances. Their leader did not entirely share that belief.

'_Something is not right, I can feel it.' _He thought as he analyzed his newest opponent. _'I can't shake this feeling, so maybe I should try to shake him up.' _

"You're outnumbered three to one, why don't you give up while you can." He called out to Haku, trying to intimidate him.

"There is no need for me to do so," Haku said, showing no signs of fear, "I have already won."

As soon as he finished his statement, a very cold breeze came down upon his adversaries. They began turning blue and shivered greatly as their body temperatures dropped rapidly. As a side effect, they were frozen in place, though the killing intent that was also bearing down upon them may have been the cause of that.

'_Damn, it was a trap.' _The leader of the Cloud missing-ninja thought desperately. _'I can't feel my toes, or even move my hands to form seals.'_

His toes and those of his comrades were actually covered in snow and ice, which would not have been a problem if they were not wearing sandals, or had a better tolerance for the cold. Luckily for him, or unluckily depending on the viewpoint, while his body was immobilized, his mind was still active.

'_I'm not going to be beaten by a Mist ninja, I'd rather die at the hands of one of my own than give them the satisfaction of beating me!'_

Fighting against the killing intent directed at him, and forcing his body to move, the leader of the Cloud missing-ninja began to take an offensive pose. Seeing him resist and prepare to fight, his subordinates wills hardened and they followed suit.

"Your determination is commendable, but foolish. As I have said, I have already won." Haku said with certainty.

With perfect timing, the Cloud missing-ninja collapsed, a pair of senbon having just embedding themselves in the neck of each one.

"It is rather easy to hit a stationary opponent, is it not?" Haku said, getting in one last statement before turning back into water, the clone having outlived its purpose.

Out from behind the position of the Cloud Missing-ninja came the real Haku along with Zabuza. Where the latter did not appear to have his sword with him, as he was in his merchant disguise, Haku did. He was holding a katana that glowed white, but was slowly stopping to do so. As it did, the snow and ice in the area disappeared, having been formed from his katana's enhancement of his ice bloodline-limit. When it was gone, Haku spoke a simple command phrase.

"Snow-blind, seal."

Calling the name of his sword, a seal on its sheath glowed, causing the sword and sheath to disappear in a poof of smoke, leaving them now safely stored away in the snowflake shaped seal on his wrist

"Good job Haku." Zabuza said now that the conflict had been concluded, showing a rare bit of praise. "I had never imagined that you would use killing intent in battle." He added, noting that it was being caused by Haku and not himself. "I'll take care of these three, you should see to Naruto." He finished, gesturing to their fallen foes.

The younger swordsman made his way to Naruto and Amaru, who had taken safety a distance from the fight, but were still close enough to observe it. On his way there, one thought passed his mind.

'_Master Zabuza praised me, he's never done that before. He always said there was no need to commend someone for doing what's expected of them. I have been able to feel myself changing ever since Naruto joined us, does this mean Master Zabuza has started as well?'_

One thing was certain, if he was, it was due to Naruto and the influence he had on them. Zabuza hoped that Naruto would change him for the better, and in time, the Hidden Mist Village as well.

ZzZzZzZ

To sleep a dreamless sleep. Move from consciousness to unconsciousness without the period in between, where the subconscious gained its dominance. Does a person who no longer dreams still have a dream? These were the thoughts going through Naruto's mind as he lay awake on a bed in Shinno and Amaru's rented cabin.

He had passed out from exhaustion after Haku had arrived, confident that Amaru would be safe. Upon awakening, which he just did, Naruto found himself staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. He did see a familiar mask near him, so he was at ease knowing Haku had brought him here.

Since he appeared to be alone, and was still tired, he did what he had been doing when he found himself unable to sleep as of late and something he did not do much of before; he thought. At present, Naruto was pondering his current inability to dream and its effects on him.

The medication he had been given to prevent the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon from torturing his subconscious mind would not last much longer before it ran out or he went insane from lack of sleep caused by his fear, or being unable to dream.

"What am I going to do?" Naruto asked out loud, his hands cupped and pressed into his forehead. "I can't just turn into an insomniac, can I?" He asked, looking up at the unfamiliar ceiling, not that he expected a reply.

A cold shiver passed through Naruto's body at that moment.

"I guess not." He said as the feeling of unease passed.

After a moment, Naruto took a deep breath, hardened his visage and made a vow.

"There's only one thing I can do. I have to become stronger, strong enough to fight off even the most powerful of demons. Then I'll be strong enough to protect everyone I care about. How else can I protect them if I can't protect myself?"

His will restored, which was almost enough on it's own to stave off the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon's influence, Naruto felt stronger then he had in quite some time. Getting out of bed and finding a clean set of his new clothes set out for him, Naruto quickly put them on. While his first instinct was to find Haku to resume his training, something, or rather someone else was on his mind.

'_Amaru…'_

While he was unsure of how he felt about her, Naruto knew one thing for sure; he had to see her again.

ZzZzZzZ

After leaving the room he had been left in, Naruto checked the others for signs of Amaru. Seeing what appeared to be her room, but without her in it, he continued to explore the premises. Although he was confident the cabin was safe, as it was clearly the one used by Amaru and Shinno, it was still an unknown premises to him and could now be the current base for a group of missing-ninja. Therefore, he moved with caution. There was no need though, as only the outside perimeter and windows had been secured with proximity detecting devices to alert them of trespassers.

'_It's not like Kimimaro's hotel room had any dangerous traps, just ones to alert us in case anyone showed up and create a distraction so we could get away if necessary.' _Naruto thought to justify his paranoia.

When he made it from the upstairs bedrooms to the downstairs main floor, a delicious aroma that was wafting assaulted his senses.

'_That smells great; Haku must be cooking something good.'_

While staying with him and Zabuza in their hideout in Wave Country, Haku did the cooking. Naruto tried to assist, but Haku patiently told him it was unnecessary. Naruto took it in stride, admitting his cooking skills were almost nonexistent, but that he still had ways to earn his keep. As for their stay in Hot Spring Country, the day before they simply ordered room service from the hotel.

Entering the kitchen to greet Haku and inquire into Amaru's whereabouts, the sight greeting Naruto was very much unexpected.

"Oh, it's you." Gozu said as he worked over a pot of stew.

Naruto was quite surprised to learn it was the Demon Brothers doing the cooking. That was not the problem presented by the present situation. He and the Demon Brothers were still unsure of how to act around the other, due to their limited interaction which was mainly from being former opponents. Although they only saw him as a newly minted genin who froze up in his first fight, Zabuza saw something in Naruto, so they went along with him on it. Naruto simply saw them as shinobi in Zabuza's employ, not a student like Haku, Kimimaro or himself.

"Um, do you guys know where I can find Haku?" Naruto asked them, preferring his company over theirs.

"He's out back, practicing his swordplay stances." Meizu responded while cutting up various meats and vegetables.

"Thanks." Naruto replied.

He turned back to leave, and was about to do so before he stopped and turned back around.

"Why are you guys doing the cooking?" He asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"You'd be surprised how good you get at it from learning to create poisons." Gozu answered.

"Just don't mix up the two." Meizu added.

Silently vowing to read up on antidotes and how to develop immunities, Naruto turned back around to leave, and did do so this time.

ZzZzZzZ

It did not take long for Naruto to exit the cabin and make his way to its backyard, where Haku was practicing.

"Did you need something?" Haku asked as Naruto came into his detection range.

He had noticed Naruto's presence right away through the detection technique he was working on and currently practicing with his swordplay in an attempt to be able to do both instinctively.

"Do you know where I can find Amaru? I want to know if she's okay." Naruto asked, still unable to think of anything but her.

"She's fine," Haku answered, lowering his sword and giving Naruto his full attention, "she was unharmed physically from the ordeal, but not emotionally."

Naruto relaxed a bit when he heard that Amaru was unhurt, at least from any bodily damage.

"So she's real upset about Dr. Shinno's death, huh?" Naruto stated, being serious for the moment.

"Yes, it's fortunate they had already finished treating the victims of the recent disease outbreak. Amaru let us use their cabin as thanks for rescuing her. I tried to comfort her earlier, but I felt unsuited for the task."

"Huh, why?" Naruto asked, a bit upset that Haku had not helped Amaru, or tried and failed to do so.

"I've only had two people I care about die. One was my mother, and I have had ten years to deal with that. The other was you, and unlike Dr. Shinno, you came back." Haku said, not hiding the pain of the losses he still felt.

"Haku…" Naruto said, unsure of what else to say.

There was an awkward silence between the two.

"Amaru made a grave marker where Dr. Shinno died, you can find her there. She has not left that area since I found the two of you." Haku said, breaking the tension. "I have to go now; I just remembered a task Master Zabuza assigned to me for after you woke up."

Without another word, Haku vanished like a true ninja, leaving Naruto alone with his thoughts.

'_I guess Haku is still learning how to express himself. He must not know how he feels, not having had a chance to act on his emotions or express himself before. I wonder how he dealt with it.' _

Since Haku was gone now, Naruto put aside thoughts of helping him overcome his repressed feelings in favour of his original goal of finding Amaru.

'_Wait, I don't remember the way back!' _Naruto thought panicky.

A cold sensation came down upon Naruto, and he noticed a light trail of snow leading into the woods.

'_A path? Thanks Haku.'_

Following the glittering white trail, Naruto set out to find Amaru to give his condolences.

ZzZzZzZ

The trail left by Haku through the use of his katana led Naruto back to the scene of his battle against the Cloud missing ninja. Although he lost, he prolonged a battle against superior and more experienced foes, using only the most basic of skills and a B-ranked forbidden technique.

'_To think, the dead-last fought a trio of chunin out to kill him and lived.' _Naruto thought as the site of the battle reminded him of his performance. _'I've made some improvements, but I still have a long ways to go. I'm going to become as strong as I can so I can protect everyone important to me!'_

Finding the spot where Shinno had apparently been vaporized, Naruto saw Amaru kneeling before a simple cross, still wearing Shinno's bandana. She was completely still, not having moved an inch since forming the cross before her from scattered pieces of wood in the clearing. Haku had offered to help her, but she turned him down, citing it was something she needed to do on her own. The apprentice of the late Shinno merely accepted a kunai from the apprentice of the Demon of the Mist to cut the twigs and branches so she would not wear down her scalpel, which was her only tool.

'_What should I say to her?' _Naruto wondered as he observed Amaru. _'Haku said he was unsuited to comforting her because he hasn't had to deal with something like this, but I think he might have a hard time expressing any emotions. It's like he's been holding them back, and when they come out, he can't control how strongly he acts on them.'_

Naruto let out a sigh, his unofficial job as team Zabuza's therapist was starting to become harder than he imagined.

'_I can worry about Haku later; it's Amaru I'm here for. Besides, I think he's still around._' Naruto noted as he glanced around.

Despite his recent improvements, Haku had more years of training and experience and like him, could stay hidden if he wanted to. Naruto had no way of knowing if the ice-user was there or not, just a gut feeling telling him that he was. Putting those thoughts aside, the former shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village focused on how to comfort Amaru.

'_It's funny, no one I know has ever died, but I did. Right now, the few people I was close to, like the old man, Mr. Teuchi, Ayame, Iruka-sensei and Konohamaru must be feeling pretty sad. I wish I could do something to let them know I'm alright, but I've got a new life now, I need to put my old life behind me. Wait, that's it!'_

Gathering his thoughts so he knew what he was going to say to Amaru, Naruto kneeled down next to her. Even then, she still did not move at all. Now that they were beside each other, Naruto was able to take a good look at her face.

'_Her eyes look really red and her face is wet. I guess she was crying really hard, until she ran out of tears.'_

Taking out a handkerchief given to him by Haku should he ever need it, Naruto held it out and offered it to Amaru. However, she did not react to it.

'_Should I just do it myself?' _Naruto wondered. _'I might offend her if I do that…'_

His thoughts were broken when Amaru moved at last, taking the offered handkerchief and drying her face, settling Naruto's dilemma.

"Thank you." Amaru said quietly as she folded away the handkerchief to wash it later before returning it.

"You're welcome." Naruto responded in a similarly muted tone, holding back his usual boisterous nature. "You know, I've never had anyone I know die before, so I didn't think I'd be able to understand what you're feeling right now. I was wrong, someone I know very well died recently and it's made a lot of changes in my life."

"Who was it?" Amaru asked as she turned her head to face him.

"This will be hard to believe, but a couple of weeks ago, I died." Naruto admitted, still not over the trauma caused by his short death.

Had it been anyone else saying that, Amaru would have thought they were crazy. It was Naruto though, and even though they only met the day before, he fought with his life to protect her. Between that, and the look of pain in his face, she knew what he was saying was the truth.

"You probably know already, but I'm a ninja." Naruto confessed, continuing his story. "The village I was from that I wanted to lead I told you about was a hidden shinobi village. You remember what I said about it right?"

"You were an orphan, they shunned you, except for its leader, and you decided to be their leader like him someday so you would be respected like him." Amaru answered, remembering the conversation about their dreams they had during their date. "Wait, you said you were travelling with a merchant and his apprentice now? So what really happened?" She asked, possibly upset Naruto lied to her before, or at least held back some truths.

"My team was on a mission. It was just supposed to be a simple bodyguard mission, but it all went wrong. The man we were protecting was the enemy of a very rich businessman who wanted him dead. The businessman hired a missing-ninja to kill my team's client. The first time we fought him, we barely won. The second time, he had his apprentice with him. We lost."

His memory of the fight was unclear due to the stress of the events occurring during and after the fight. Naruto only knew what Haku and Zabuza had told him of it afterwards.

"One of my team-mates and I fought the apprentice while out sensei fought the missing-ninja again. This time, they had a plan. We were beaten, hard. I don't remember much, but I think I really was killed in that fight." Naruto continued, his voice breaking as the few memories he had of the fight flashed in his mind.

"I don't know how I survived, I should have been dead. I'd say it was a fucking miracle that I did." He continued, mentally and outwardly cursing the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon for ruining and saving his life, as he knew of nothing else that could have ensured his survival. "The next few memories are like a bad dream to me, which they probably were. When I finally woke up, Haku was there. He and his Master had found me and were watching over me. Since they saved me, I decided to join them."

The most painful parts of his story were now over, and Naruto let out a sigh of relief at that as he continued once more.

"Since everyone I ever knew before meeting Haku thinks I'm dead, I guess you could say that I lost myself. I can't go back to my old village, use my real name, or even act like myself. I have to be completely new person now, and I don't know how to do that."

For one of the rare moments in his life, Naruto was showing his real feelings instead of the happy grin he showed to hide them. His uncertainty, fear and self-doubt were plain to see.

"Naruto, it's okay." Amaru said, not liking seeing him like that.

"Sorry," Naruto responded, shaking his head to clear his thoughts, "I came here to make sure you were okay, not to make you feel bad for me too."

"No really, it's okay. Sharing the pain is a common way of dealing with it. It's better to tell someone about it rather than let it build up." Amaru said comfortingly, her healer side showing through.

"Thanks." Naruto said, giving her a smile with it. "So, if sharing the pain helps it go away, why don't you tell me about Dr. Shinno?" He asked.

"Okay, but there's not much I didn't already tell you." Amaru said as she began to tell stories of her travels over the years with Shinno.

The apprentice of Shinno told Naruto about the various places she and the doctor had seen in their travels as they sought out those who needed aid. Nothing too exciting had happened, the common element was wherever they went, they had found much suffering and anguish, and did their best to help those they found.

"I'm not sure what I should do now without him." Amaru admitted as she finished her tale. "I feel as if I no longer have a purpose. How did you deal with losing yours?" She asked Naruto, putting him on the spot.

'_I need to be careful about what I say,' _Naruto thought, _'Amaru is feeling hurt right now, and it's up to me to be the one to heal her.'_

"I was feeling down for a while. I had always dreamed of being the leader of my village for as long as I can remember. Following that goal was my purpose. I have a new dream now though, and I was given a new purpose. I'm going to keep getting as strong as I can, so I can protect everyone I care about!"

Although Naruto's words sounded nice, filled with his confidence, it did not pass onto Amaru.

"That sounds nice, but I have no one to give me a new purpose, and without someone to teach me I can't become a great doctor for my dream either." She said sadly.

Realizing he was losing her, Naruto did what he always did and took a risk.

"Come with me." He said, not quite realizing what he was saying.

"What?" Amaru said in surprise from the offer.

"Come with me, I mean us, me and Haku, his Master and the others. We could really use a medic like you, and I'm sure we could find someone to finish your training where we're going."

"You mean that?"

"Of course, there'll be lots of people who'll need your help, and if I have to, I'll find the best doctor in the world to train you so you can become the best doctor ever!"

Amaru felt like she could cry if she had not already used up all her tears for Shinno.

"Naruto, thank you, for everything." She said, wanting to say more but unable to do so.

"You're welcome." Naruto replied as he scratched the back of his neck as he usually did when feeling embarrassed. "So, how do you feel?" He asked, hoping she was better now.

"Usually with my hands." She replied after a moment of thought.

Naruto blinked once, then twice, and then a grin formed on his face. Amaru was expressionless before, but now she seemed to have lightened a bit.

"So you're feeling better now?" Naruto asked; glad to see she appeared to be improving if she was able to make a joke.

"Yeah, I'm a little better. Thanks for coming by."

Amaru's face was flushed slightly from Naruto's comforting presence, and seeing her cheer up, he reacted in a similar manner. Although they had been more intimate earlier, now there was a slight awkwardness between them. Feeling a need to break the tension, and trusting his gut, Zabuza's third apprentice tried pressing his luck.

"Haku, I know you're spying on us, come on out!" Naruto called out, hoping Haku really was watching them.

As it turned out, he was. Knowing he was caught, Zabuza's first apprentice moved out from his hiding spot behind a nearby tree.

"I am sorry for intruding with my presence. I merely wished to make sure both of you were alright." Haku said apologetically.

"It's alright." Naruto replied, not too bothered as he knew, or at least suspected Haku was nearby and was a little pleased to be proven correct.

"It must be nice knowing you have someone looking out for you." Amaru commented to Naruto.

She had Haku to thank for saving herself from the Cloud missing-ninja while Naruto, who was also saved, stalled them. Amaru could forgive him for eavesdropping if he was merely being overprotective.

"Why don't you come over and join us?" Naruto asked, patting the ground beside him.

As he was now invited to join them, Haku moved over and kneeled beside Naruto before the cross marking where Shinno died. Feeling uncomfortable, the ice-user made a small prayer for Shinno he remembered from his childhood, before the death of his parents. Thinking about them brought up unresolved feelings of pain and loss within Haku, and now seemed as good as a time as any to deal with them.

"Once, I was precious, I belonged to my parents." He began.

Naruto was silent. He and Haku had already shared their life stories, and felt they had much in common, which built up a sense of empathy between them. Amaru showed more interest, not having heard the story before.

"I was born in a snowy, little village in the land of Mist. I was happy. My parents were good, kind people, but…"

Haku paused in his storytelling. He had only shared his tale once before, so doing so was still hard on him.

"Just as I was getting old enough to really notice the world around me, something happened. My father killed my mother."

Naruto was still silent, but Amaru had a look of shock on her face.

"Mist has been the site of war for generations. Those who possessed bloodline-limits like me were used as soldiers, and slaughtered countless many people, shinobi and civilian alike. They had become feared, and when the wars were over, they were hunted down and killed."

The story of Haku's past just reminded Naruto of how good his childhood in the Hidden Leaf Village was by comparison, and strengthened his resolve to help Zabuza end the strife. Amaru was slowly becoming more horrified. Although she had been exposed to much suffering as a travelling medic, she had yet to see war.

"My father learned that my mother had a bloodline-limit, and before I knew it, he had died by my hand. That was when it came to me. I knew what it was and I was forced to accept it. The most painful thing was accepting that I was alone in the world. Superfluous, unwanted, shunned."

While neither Naruto or Amaru could truly understand the pain Haku felt when he killed his father, both understood what it felt like to be alone.

In Naruto's mind, he saw his younger self, walking through a crowded street, but knew that boy felt like he was all alone. None of the adults looked at the young boy, not even to sneer at him. They were content to delude themselves into thinking he did not exist.

'_It wasn't so bad. I was always welcome at Ichiraku, and I had the old man and Iruka-sensei looking after me.' _Naruto thought, knowing where Haku was going next with his story.

As for Amaru, she saw her younger self, stricken by disease and treated like a leper. No one else in her village would associate with her out of fear of becoming ill like her.

'_I didn't stay like that. Shinno-sensei found me, healed me, and gave me a purpose.' _She thought, also suspecting where Haku was going next with his story.

"If you had someone who not only respected, but acknowledged your existence and cared for you, wouldn't that person become the most important person in your life?" Haku asked.

An image of Iruka briefly flashed in Naruto's mind before he remembered his old life was over. A new image of Haku, Zabuza and now Amaru appeared in its place, replacing the sadness of the loss of his old life with the hope of a better one.

Amaru saw Shinno for a moment, before his image faded and one of Naruto asking her to come with him and his companions began to take its place. While she still felt the pain of her loss, she also felt comforted knowing Naruto was now there for her.

"I think I get it now." Amaru said, speaking up and getting Haku and Naruto's attention. "I felt really sad when Shinno-sensei died, but there was something else. I think I know what it was now." She finished, looking right at Naruto.

"What," Naruto asked, "is there something on my face?" He asked nervously, which elicited a giggle from Amaru.

"No, but it has to do with you. I was thinking about how I felt about Shinno-sensei and you. I thought I might have loved him, but after meeting you I realized it was a different type of love. He saved me and raised me, and for that he was like a father to me. Because of that, I could never truly fall in love with him like I could with you." She said.

"What?" Naruto asked, blushing slightly.

"I don't mean I'm in love with you now," Amaru said, causing Naruto to droop, "but I might be someday. I don't know how I feel right now. I need time to figure it out."

Naruto let out a sigh, and gave Amaru a smile.

"That's okay, take all the time you need." He said, also unsure of his own feelings.

"I guess it's my turn for an epiphany." Haku said, speaking up again and regaining Naruto and Amaru's attention. "When Master Zabuza told me of his plans, he said that what he needed from me was not love, affection or support. He needed me to be his tool, and that was what I was. I didn't realize it until now as I too did not understand my feelings because I kept them suppressed and could not act on them, but he's like a father to me as well."

Amaru seemed pleased that her revelation helped Haku, while Naruto felt odd.

'_Amaru saw Dr. Shinno as a father, while Haku has Zabuza-sensei. I don't have anyone like that.' _He thought sadly.

"If Master Zabuza is like a father to me, then you would be a like a little brother to me." Haku said to Naruto.

"Really?" He asked, his thoughts of not having his own father figure set aside for the moment.

"Really. I was raised by Master Zabuza alongside Kimimaro, but we were never close. It wasn't until the day I met you, where I was able to relax and be myself that I truly felt connected to someone else. Kimimaro is always cold and distant from our upbringing, but you are warm and open. Where he's strong and can handle himself, you are someone I can help grow strong while protecting them as well."

Hearing Haku freely express himself for what must have been the first time for him, Naruto took a moment to ponder his words.

'_I felt left out because I didn't have a father figure like Zabuza-sensei or Dr. Shinno in my life. It's okay though, 'cause I have a big brother and maybe even a future girlfriend now to watch out for me. I thought I had to be strong to protect everyone, but I never thought there would be anyone who'd want to protect me.'_

"You guys are the best!" Naruto called out as he pulled Amaru and Haku into a group hug.

They stayed like that for a few moments, each of them knowing that while they may have been alone before, that was in the past, and they had a bright future to look forward too. Though they still had some unresolved issues, they would have plenty of time to deal with them.

ZzZzZzZ

Once they had broken from their embrace, Haku left on his own to resume his personal training, leaving Naruto alone to escort Amaru back to the cabin. The snowy trail was left intact, guiding them on their way. The sun had set, and the moonlight reflected off the snow, illuminating the path before them.

Naruto and Amaru walked side by side in silence. While they enjoyed the atmosphere, both were still a little shy and nervous around each other now that they were alone again. Naruto kept shooting Amaru brief glances, which she easily noticed.

"What?" Amaru asked as Naruto looked towards her yet again.

"I was just thinking, your hair looks really pretty. You should wear it down more often." Naruto commented to Amaru.

On a whim, for a reason even she did not understand, Amaru decided to take off the bandana Shinno left her and kept her hair down.

"Thanks," she said with a blush, "if you like, I can keep it down around you from now on."

"Yeah, that'd be nice." Naruto said, holding back a blush of his own.

'_Ever since I started dressing a boy, I've always hid my hair. I thought it made me look girly, but if Naruto likes it, I'm okay with it.' _Amaru thought as they approached the cabin.

Naruto did not realize it, but he was starting to change yet another person.

ZzZzZzZ

When Naruto and Amaru entered the cabin, they found Zabuza waiting for them.

"Haku tells me you have a request to make." Zabuza, still in his merchant disguise, stated to Naruto.

"Yes sir." Naruto said with a gulp.

Even dressed like an ordinary merchant instead of a deadly shinobi carrying an incredibly large sword, Zabuza could still be intimidating.

"I would like Amaru to join us." Naruto said, gesturing to the late Shinno's apprentice.

Zabuza stayed silent, appearing to be considering Naruto's request.

'_She's a trained medic, although a young one. Still, no one else in our group has any serious medical training. Plus, she seems to be important to Naruto. He only has a few bonds, I don't want to lose him by making him sever one.'_

"As long as she earns her keep, she can stay." Zabuza said at last.

Naruto looked pleased, and Amaru was relieved to hear she could stay by his side.

"You can start by attending to Kimimaro, my second apprentice. As soon as he has recovered, we will be going on our way." Zabuza said, addressing Amaru and giving the medic her first orders.

Amaru nodded at the order, still a bit nervous around Zabuza to speak up. Already knowing where Kimimaro was from when she showed Zabuza's group to the cabin earlier in the day, she made her way to Kimimaro's bedside.

"Thanks Zabuza-sensei." Naruto said once Amaru was gone.

Zabuza grunted in reply, having other thoughts.

'_I must be going soft to agree to this. I know I need to change, but not this much.'_

"I need to get back my own business. Before I go though, take these." Zabuza said.

He then pulled out a familiar pair of wakizashi and handed them to Naruto.

"We looted them from the Cloud missing-ninja along with their other supplies. Think of them as spoils of war." Zabuza said as a simple explanation before heading on his way.

The last time Naruto had seen them, they were in the hands of the leader of the Cloud missing-ninja. They were in his hands now, and one of the few things he could call truly his. Along with the swords, Zabuza included a harness for carrying them crossways on his back. Naruto put it on, and formed a shadow clone to see how he looked.

"Well, do I look like a swordsman now?" The shadow clone asked it's creator while posing.

"A little, but couldn't you have just used a mirror?" Haku asked as he came out of nowhere.

Naruto gave a sheepish chuckle over being caught using his shadow clone technique in such a frivolous manner. He dispelled the shadow clone, not needing it for anything else.

"So will Amaru be joining us now?" Haku asked, changing the topic so Naruto might feel better.

"Yup!" Naruto replied with an excited nod. "Zabuza-sensei said it'd be okay as long as she earns her keep. Right now she's checking on Kimimaro."

Haku smiled, glad to see Naruto happy as well after all he had been through.

"That's good, we could use a trained medic. I have some basic first-aid training, but I eschewed learning more in favour of developing my taijutsu."

"Bless you." Naruto said, thinking Haku sneezed.

"No, I meant I decided not to learn more about medicine so I could be better at swordplay."

"Oh, I get it now." There was a pause. "Gesundheit."

Haku just started groaning. Naruto still had a long ways to go.

ZzZzZzZ

The next day, Kimimaro had become well enough to awaken. Zabuza was quickly called in the moment his second apprentice was coherent, with Haku accompanying him.

"Master Zabuza, I have failed you." Were the first words spoken by the last of the Kaguya clan. "I am weaker than the trash I despise and not worthy of serving you. Please, allow me to at least die with honour rather than suffering like this."

In his mind, Haku could see himself doing the same thing if he was in his fellow apprentices' position. As for Zabuza, when he heard the dead bone pulse wielder's words his fists tightened and his anger rose, not at Kimimaro, but at himself.

'_Is this what I've done with my ways? The moment Kimimaro gets sick of all things, he loses his will to live? What if he or Haku had lost a fight? Did I really make them think they had to be infallible or they'd be useless?'_

"No, you are wrong. It is I who has failed the both of you." Zabuza said, earning a surprised and confused look from his apprentices. "I raised you both to be my tools and nothing more because that was all I thought I needed from the two of you. I was wrong, you are both much more than that. Before, I thought of Haku as my shield, protecting me from harm," he said, placing his hand on one of Haku's shoulders, "while you were my sword, striking down my enemies." He continued, placing his other hand on one of Kimimaro's shoulders. "You are not tools though, you are both humans, and should be treated as such." Zabuza finished, pulling away from them.

Kimimaro was silent and showed only a slight sign of puzzlement, having never heard his Master speak like that before. Haku was silent as well, but had a slight smile on his face.

"Remember, the both of you are more than tools, but you are only human. I do not expect you to serve me flawlessly as a slave would their Master, but to _follow_ me to the best of your ability as a soldier would their leader. Right now, it is your survival that is important. We still have a country to liberate from tyranny, and I want all of us together when it happens." Zabuza said, doing his best inspirational speech.

By the looks on his disciples' faces, it worked, though possibly because it was the only motivation speech they had ever received.

'_I guess they'll be fine now. I wasn't sure that would work. I'm not the type to inspire anything but fear in someone else. That worked fine in the old days, but if I want to change things, I have to start with myself.' _Zabuza thought.

"Now that I know you will be fine, I have to get back to my unfinished business." Zabuza said. "Kimimaro, I'll be back later to hear your report. For now, Haku will fill you in on recent events." He said as he left, still not used to the touchy-feely atmosphere that had been developing.

"It appears much has happened during my downtime." Kimimaro said as Zabuza left. "Just what transpired to cause such a change in Master Zabuza?" He asked Haku.

"That would be the work of our newest fellow apprentice." Haku answered as he told the tale of the Wave Mission and its repercussions.

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The next morning, since Kimimaro was well enough to leave now, Zabuza and company were all outside the cabin, preparing to set out. They were back in their disguises for the next leg of their journey. Zabuza was in his merchant clothes, Haku in his favourite pink kimono again and was Kimimaro wearing a cloak and hood to hide his unique look. The Demon Brothers were disguised as bodyguards for the others, despite being the weakest in the group. Amaru was wearing her normal clothes, as was Naruto, or what could now be considered normal for him.

"Where's the wagon?" Naruto asked as he looked around, confused by the lack of it's presence.

"Sold it and traded most of what we were carrying. I've been laundering the funds we acquired from Gato's coffers and purchased supplies we could actually use." Zabuza explained.

"Oh, that makes sense." Naruto said, nodding in understanding. "Wait, does this mean you can afford another rebellion?"

"Not if it was just all of us. If we combine our resources with the Mist's current rebel faction, we might though. That is why we are heading out to join them." Zabuza answered, getting anxious looks from those with him.

'_Master Zabuza's dream may be coming true soon. Once it does, what should my dream be?' _Haku wondered, feeling it was still too soon to be thinking like that.

'_Finally, the time has come to deal with the trash cluttering the waters of the Hidden Mist Village.' _Kimimaro thought, looking forward to the future bloodshed.

'_I never thought I'd live to see this day happen…' _Gozu began to think.

'_I always imagined I would die in the boss' employ.' _Meizu contemplated, finishing what his brother's thought as if he knew what Gozu was thinking.

'_A lot of people will get hurt and die. I guess I'll have to do my part to make sure as few do as possible.' _Amaru thought, knowing her skills as a doctor would be needed.

'_If we succeed, we'll be big damn heroes. If not, it won't matter, as we'll be dead.' _Naruto thought grimly. _'I guess we'll just have to win then.'_

Zabuza's motley crew had a mixture of looks of anxiousness and excitement, and their boss himself was feeling both.

'_I've been with mostly everyone here to know what they're thinking by now. Haku is questioning what to do once my dream is accomplished, as seeing it come true was his dream. Kimimaro is looking forward to ridding Mist of its weak, like those in Yagura's employ, and helping to make it strong again. As for the Demon Brothers, I think they were sure they would have died long ago. I wish I could take their minds off of it, but I'm not that kind of leader who can say a few words and those who serve him will steel their wills. At least not yet.'_

"I made contact with one of the rebel's runners earlier, so they will be expecting us soon." Zabuza spoke up, breaking his followers out of their thoughts. "We will be making the rest of the journey on foot to the coastline where we'll take a boat to the rebel base. We head out now, so everyone take a backpack."

The backpacks were filled with the supplies Zabuza had been acquiring to supply the Mist's rebellion forces. Inside them were mostly equipment scrolls with various goods sealing into them.

"Alright," Zabuza said once everyone was set to go, "move out!"

With that, the group set out on their way. None of them noticed a nearly invisible seal on Shinno's old bandana that Amaru still wore glowing for a second before fading away.

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Not too long after Zabuza and company had set out, an older man further down the road that was familiar to Naruto called out to them, bringing the company to a temporary stop at their leader's silent signal.

"So we meet again." The older man said to Naruto.

"Hey, Mr. Jiraiya, it's good to see you again!" Naruto said back to him.

"Good to see you too. So, have you settled on a name for yourself? Or are you going to let your reputation grow and go with whatever nickname you get stuck with?" Jiraiya asked.

In response, Naruto simply pulled out the book Jiraiya gave him and grinned.

"I really liked this book, it's the first I ever read all of." Naruto said in complete sincerity; Haku's attempts to get him to study can attest to that. "The main character of this book, I thought his determination to never give up was really cool, I hope I can be just like him someday." He said, ending with a happy smile.

Naruto did not realize it, but he had practically quoted his own father from the day Minato told Jiraiya what he wanted to name his son.

"That's why I'd like to name myself Naruto, just like him." The once and now forever Naruto said, happy for the turn of events that let him keep him real name.

"Naruto, it's a wonderful name." Jiraiya said, mirroring the words spoken by Naruto's mother thirteen years ago.

Not having anything else to say, he held up a hand towards Naruto, gesturing for a handshake.

"It was nice meeting you Naruto. Good luck with whatever you do from now on." He said as they shook hands.

"Thanks, you too!" Naruto said, retuning the gesture in accordance to the lessons on manners Haku had given him in preparation for making up to Amaru.

Their business complete, Jiraiya and Naruto parted ways. As Zabuza, who was still nervous about being in the presence of the man he thought was surely here to take back Naruto, passed by him, the Toad Sage stated walking alongside the former member of the Seven Swordsmen, speaking up once their footsteps were in sync.

"I had a great student once. He really looked up to me. In fact, he named his son after the main character of my book. I was to be that boy's godfather."

Zabuza halted his steps upon hearing that and put on the most neutral face he could to suppress his surprise at Jiraiya's statement, wishing he was wearing his face wraps, but glad that at least his eyes were hidden by his headwear.

"I know, I'm not the parental type." Jiraiya replied as Zabuza resumed his pace. "I'm way too irresponsible, and I have other duties. Besides, I never thought I'd actually have to raise a child myself, considering who the kid's parents were."

He was leaving out many details, but Zabuza knew enough about Jiraiya to know who his former student was, and who his student's son must have been as well.

"I'm sure you know what happened next. My great student, who was supposed to be unmatched, met an unfortunate end along with his wife, leaving their son, my godson an orphan."

Zabuza kept silent, as he was sure he knew some of Jiraiya's tale, and that it was something the older shinobi had a hard time revealing.

"I should have raised him, my godson. If I had, he might not have died."

Again Zabuza paused in his march and gazed at his side to Jiraiya, who seemed to be hiding a feeling of forlornness.

"You seemed to have a done a good job raising the two with you. You certainly did a better job than I would have. This goes without saying, but make sure you do a good job with Naruto as well."

Zabuza nodded back before answering verbally.

"You have my word, he will live up to his full potential."

If anything, Zabuza was sure he could at least promise that.

"Good," Jiraiya said, nodding as well, "but I'd be happy as long as he was. Not many people get a second chance at life, or the freedom to choose how to live it."

"Indeed." Was Zabuza's simple reply.

In death Naruto had lost all he once was, but with a second chance he gained something he had taken away from him, his freedom. The day he awoke, two paths lay before Naruto. One lead back to his old life. In his mind, it was filled with uncertainty, as while it looked to be better at first, the old pains were still there, and could return at any time. As for the other path, to him it lead to a new frontier, a new life. It held the same promise of change, but unlike the other path, it was different, and full of hope instead of old pains.

Pondering the information Jiraiya had parted to him, Zabuza had many pressing thoughts.

'_Naruto, you and I are going to have to have a long discussion about the people you associate with. You never know when one of them might be a legendary shinobi possibly out to kidnap you. Hmm, now that I think of it, I should inform you of Hoshigaki Kisame and the other high profile Mist missing-ninjas.'_

A cold shiver went down Zabuza's spine, and he knew it meant trouble. Putting the thoughts of Naruto being kidnapped by high profile ninja aside, he resumed thinking about what Jiraiya said to him.

'_His student's son, his own godson, that's what he said. I only know of one person he taught, the Fourth Hokage. I don't recognize the attitude, but Naruto has his looks. Damn, it looks like I'll have to be the one to tell him too. Well, if he has any feelings of goodwill towards his former village left, this will get rid of them for sure.'_

His thoughts turning to how to tell Naruto what he just learned, Zabuza moved ahead to better keep an eye on him. Jiraiya fell back as he slowed his pace and began to watch the Mist missing-ninja and his company continue on their way, collecting his thoughts as he did so.

'_The elder toad sage predicted I would make a decision that would either bring peace to the world, or it's destruction. I once thought that staying in the Hidden Rain Village to teach Nagato, Yahiko and Konan was that decision. As far as I know they're dead now, so that wasn't it. I thought I did a good job teaching Minato, but he's dead as well. Naruto, I can only hope that my decision to let you go was the right one.'_

He was alone now, Naruto and the others long passed on their way. Having assured himself that his student's son was now safe, Jiraiya hastily made his way back to the Hidden Leaf Village to fulfill another duty he wished had done sooner. He was never there for his godson, but someone was now, so the Toad Sage would be there for _his_ village. They needed him now, more then ever.

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Author's Note: I'm going for longer chapter from now on. They should be in the ten thousand word range.

I've also decided to list this as Naruto/Amaru from now on, despite my earlier concerns about doing so. As it's passed her introduction and the reviews spoil her appearance, the pros of adding her to the character filter seem to outwiegh the cons.

If Naruto knew the Rasengan, he would have won the fight on his own, but he would have had to kill the Cloud missing-ninja to do so. Haku made it look easy with how he won, thanks to an application of his bloodline enhanced by a magical sword, a rare use of killing intent from him, and some precision senbon strikes.

Snow-blindness is temporary blindness caused by the reflection of light off of snow. It sucks, believe it. I have to wear sunglasses year-round whenever I'm outside because of it. Given that it's the name of Haku's sword, that should give some added insight into his capabilities in combat.

I think I may have moved a bit too fast with Naruto and Amaru's relationship, so it'll go a bit slower from now on. That said though, I'm not going to change what I've written again. After having Naruto killed by Haku of all people, left for dead after being burned and buried alive by his team-mates, mind-raped by the Kyuubi into committing suicide or going insane, the incident where he woke up between him and Haku that I removed, having to wear Haku's hand me downs until getting clothes of his own, and considering how little (none really) action his canon counterpart has received, I think throwing him a bone and letting him kiss a girl is okay.

Just one though, I'm still anti-harem. One of these days I will find out who created the clan restoration act, one of these days…

Ahem. Besides, Naruto and Amaru are the same age Minato and Kushina apparently got together as well.

This is a good time to bring up a theory of mine. The more abused Naruto is in a fanfic, the stronger he becomes, and the more girls he gets as well. It applies to this story as well, as Naruto has suffered more than he did in canon, though not as badly as in some fanfics, will become stronger that his canon counterpart, and has has met his love interest.

I'm a bit worried about the reactions to Kimimaro's first scene. While it might be insulting to his character, it shows how Zabuza's methods are faulty and need to be changed. That said, Kimimaro will get some better scenes soon that will display his different skills from his canon counterpart.

I have a feeling the conversation between Jiraiya and Zabuza will bring up some questions so I'll do my best to pre-emptively answer them here.

The primary reason Jiraiya let him go rather than take him back is because he's looking out for his godson for once instead of his villages deterrent. He admits he's unsuited as a parental figure, and is letting Naruto go with someone who has the desire to see him live up to his full potential, even if it's not for an entirely benign reason. Jiraiya won't try to ingratiate himself into Naruto's life after not being there for him, as he doesn't believe he or the Hidden Leaf Village deserves a second chance. Also, Naruto chose to join Zabuza rather than be coerced into doing so, which helped. Now, as the Hidden Leaf Village is currently in a vulnerable state, Jiraiya's going back to do whatever he can to keep it safe.

Speaking of the Hidden Leaf Village, the next chapter is the long awaited one where they learn of Naruto's death. I've wanted to write it for some time. It'll be a good chance to show how Naruto's former team handled his death. I should have shown it before; to show they're not as bad as they were made out to be. At the time I was planning on doing another story centered on Sasuke and the Hidden Leaf Village's side of the story when this one was complete and was saving their reactions for that.

If anyone is curious and wants to know more about the next chapter, all I'm going to say is it won't be the typical "the demon is dead; let's have a wild drunken orgy to celebrate!" kind of chapter. If they did that, Orochimaru wouldn't wait until the chunin exams to invade considering the apparent drop in security that would cause.

Hmm, that makes me want to finish "Wants and Needs". My other one-shot with a Naru/Hina pairing didn't go over well, and Illusions of Grandeur only has the prologue complete.


	14. Interlude: the Hidden Leaf Village

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto

Zabuza's Seven

Chapter 14: Interlude: the Hidden Leaf Village

Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, was not having a good day. The wizened leader, known as the God of Shinobi and the Professor for his skill and knowledge, was for once at a loss to explain the unease and dread he had been feeling all day. A pipe was nearby along with some high quality tobacco from the Hidden Grass Village, but for once Sarutobi was in no mood to smoke.

It began at breakfast the day before when his favourite tea cup shattered. He did not consider it a bad omen, but the unease the day had brought him was making him reassess his superstitions.

The rest of the day, at least in regards to his tasks as the Third Hokage had started like any other. Sarutobi would use a few shadow clones to sort out the paperwork for the day and delegate the unimportant portion of it to his staff. Once he was finished with the remaining documents, Sarutobi would oversee the mission assignments for the day. After that would be a nice lunch, followed by appointments with various officials in the afternoon. Having completed his meetings, Sarutobi would retire for the night in his private quarters, which were also in the administrations complex.

It was while Sarutobi was re-tracing his steps to envision what could have happened this particular day to make a man of his experience feel ill at ease that he realized what was troubling him. The answer was so simple that he felt silly for not figuring it out sooner.

Uzumaki Naruto was not in the village.

The boy, now a recent graduate of the Hidden Leaf Village's shinobi academy, was a genin now and as a genin, partook in missions for the welfare of the village. His most recent mission was a simple C-rank bodyguard mission that would take him out of the village for a few weeks at most.

Once the concept that he simply missed Naruto's energetic presence was aware to him, Sarutobi thought he begin to feel well at ease. He re-imagined his day as if Naruto was still present in the village, but now by his side. He would show Naruto how to properly sort the various documents and paperwork at the beginning of the work day, explaining the property of shadow clones to pass on their experiences to their creator.

The Professor had merely believed Naruto, who was capable of producing hundreds, if not thousands of shadow clones, had merely been too focused on the task at hand to notice that property, given that he only used the technique in combat. Sarutobi gave Naruto the benefit of the doubt that he was intelligent enough to discover the full extent of the shadow clone technique's capabilities were he to use it in the right situation.

If he had the proper opportunity, Sarutobi would have explained the potential of the technique to Naruto, along with the risks associated with it as well. The Third Hokage was not as busy with leading the village as he made himself seem, so he resolved to take some time to help Naruto the next time he saw the boy.

Continuing his former train of thought, Sarutobi imagined them doing paperwork together. The frustrated face on Naruto as he realized just what the position of Hokage entailed amused the third man to hold the title. He felt a sense of pride when the imaginary Naruto did not let his disappointment deter him, but spur him to better himself in order to be worthy of his dream.

Once they were done, Sarutobi and Naruto would take their lunch break. The young boy would insist on having ramen from his favourite restaurant. The Professor felt a twinge of guilt at knowing that it may not have been the ramen that made the restaurant a safe haven for Naruto, but the company he had there. While Sarutobi knew every technique not exclusive to a shinobi clan in his village, he did not know how to change a person's beliefs once they were set in their ways.

Putting aside such unpleasant, or in the words of Might Guy, unyouthful thoughts, Sarutobi focused on the rest of the imagined day, which went smoothly. While Naruto may have been, and possibly still was, an uncouth lad, he possessed a boundless sense of optimism and an unbreakable spirit.

As a boy, Naruto may have been bored assisting Sarutobi with assigning missions or sitting in while the Third Hokage met with important dignitaries, but Sarutobi was sure those qualities would serve Naruto well once it was his time to lead the Hidden Leaf Village.

Naruto would be able to put the Hidden Leaf Village's clients at ease and assure them of what would someday be his village's professionalism while possessing a hardened strength of character to stand up to anyone from outside the village who would see it harmed.

Once their day was complete, Sarutobi would retire to his private quarters in the administrations building while Naruto would go home to his lonely bachelor apartment. The elderly Hokage held out a hope that someday, Naruto would instead go home to a large home with a wife and children that loved him as much as he would love them.

His musings complete, Sarutobi was sure that once he was gone, the Hidden Leaf Village would someday be safe under Naruto's leadership. Unfortunately, even that belief was not enough to relieve him of the sense of dread; it only seemed to make it worse now that he discovered the connection between it and Naruto.

What happened next would leave him wary of superstitions for the rest of his days. An ANBU, the shorthand for the village's Special Assassination and Tactics Squad, appeared before him.

"Sir, we have received an emergency message from Hatake Kakashi." The masked shinobi said.

Sarutobi then new that the day was only going to get worse from there on out.

As for the ANBU who drew the short straw and had to deliver the message, he was quite relieved that Sarutobi had heard that phrase, "don't shoot the messenger". That day though, another phrase became just as well known in the Hidden Leaf Village.

Never anger the Third Hokage.

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The message Kakashi had sent saddened Sarutobi as much as it angered him. Any appointments for the day were cancelled, as Sarutobi was not in the best mood to meet with anyone he did not call into his office personally.

While he was professional enough as a shinobi to maintain his grandfatherly persona despite the circumstances, the God of Shinobi was convinced by his former team-mates, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, who now served as his advisors, that he had earned a day off. It was the best advice they had given him in some time.

Homura and Koharu, not being as deeply affected by the unpleasant revelations of Kakashi's message, took over the mission distribution and meetings for the day.

By the next morning, Sarutobi was composed enough to return to his normal schedule. Inside though, while he would never admit it, he was dreading the day Team Seven, minus one member, returned. He may have been the God of Shinobi, but he was still an old man who just lost someone he loved like a grandson and the best hope he had for the future of his village.

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Two weeks ago, Hatake Kakashi had sent word of the results of his mission by means of his dog summons. Two weeks since then, the remaining members of Team Seven completed their obligations to their client, Tazuna, and returned home.

When Team Seven did so, they were brought to the Hokage in secret, so no one would yet learn they lost a member of their team. One by one, each remaining member of team seven was interviewed by Sarutobi, his former team-mates, and even Shimura Danzo, the former leader of root and Nara Shikaku, the jonin squad leader.

Considering that all of the Hidden Leaf Village's leadership had been present for the mission report, with the exception of the ANBU commander, it was clear that what happened in Wave Country would have a drastic effect on the Hidden Leaf Village.

After the last member of Team Seven had been interviewed, the leadership of the Hidden Leaf Village stood in silence, each pondering the consequences of the mission.

Of all of them, Sarutobi mourned Naruto's death the most. As the Hokage, he felt he was to blame the most. If he had taken a more active role in the life of the boy he considered to be like a grandson to him, Naruto would have had the skills needed to survive.

Even more, if he had simply revealed the truth of Naruto's heritage, he likely would not have been the village pariah. He might have grown up spoiled, but he would be happy. Besides, the other leaders did not hide their children, and some were even power of human sacrifices like Naruto.

Nara Shikaku, the jonin commander, had a son Naruto's age who was even one of the boy's classmates. He was concerned with how his son and the others of Shikamaru's generation would take Naruto's death.

Utatane Koharu, one of Sarutobi's former team-mates turned advisor, mourned the loss of a potential Hokage candidate. She had faith in Hiruzen and trusted him that Naruto would grow to become a great Hokage like he had been. Now, like his father before him, Naruto's life had ended far too early.

Mitokado Homura, Sarutobi's other team-mate, was more concerned with the loss of power Naruto's death represented. Once the other villages learned they no longer had the strongest of the tailed beasts in their possession, tensions could begin to rise. There were no recorded incidents of a power of human sacrifice being used against another village, as each village had their own for use as a deterrent. The Hidden Leaf Village no longer possessed that deterrent, which made the idea of another great shinobi war all the more grievous.

Shimura Danzo was thinking along similar lines. He was a war hawk by nature and believed in crushing his enemies instead of forming alliances with them. It would only be a matter of time before relations began breaking down and he would be ready. The seemingly infirm elderly man started to make plans for preparations for war and possibly acquiring powers of human sacrifice from the other villages.

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Once they were finished giving their mission report, Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura were escorted to a private facility. There the three of them were to remain there until they had been given permission to leave. Sakura was upset she could not return to her family, while Sasuke's opinion remained neutral. Kakashi however, was in a state of unrest, not that either of his students could tell.

They had been suspicious, of course. Neither understood why Naruto's death would require a potential cover-up, which was obviously happening if the Hokage did not want anyone to know of it. Kakashi however, he understood quite well why no one in the Hidden Leaf Village could learn of Naruto's death just yet.

They would learn of it eventually, of that there was no doubt. It was not a secret in Wave Country. Soon, traders from all over Fire Country will be making their way to the formerly impoverished nation. From there they could form a shipping port, and form a new hub of activity. In time those traders would return home, and bring back many tales with them. The death of Naruto and the liberation of Wave Country would surely be the most popular of them all.

Not only them, but anyone coming from Wave Country, either a local or someone who came from elsewhere and journeyed into Fire Country through Wave Country could spread the tale of Naruto's demise.

It saddened Kakashi to think that Naruto would finally obtain the recognition he yearned for, and deserved only after his death. Even worse, it would be from a foreign nation instead of his home village. The people of the Hidden Leaf Village would hear second-hand how the boy they scorned died a hero to help free another nation from tyranny. Thus, the leaders of the Hidden Leaf Village only had a short amount of time to prepare for whatever may result once news of Naruto's fate became public knowledge.

They were optimistic about it. None of them expected any riots or endless parties. This was a ninja village, and no one in it, no matter how disliked a member of it was, would have their memory disgraced in such a manner. Therefore, they steadily began preparing for the worst case scenario.

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The day of Naruto's funeral had finally come. Since his remains were buried in Wave Country, the land he fought to save at the cost of his life, a service was being held at the memorial stone where his name would be its newest addition.

Because of the choice of venue, Kakashi was the first person to arrive. As usual, he was speaking to his former team-mates, this time to seek their forgiveness for letting Naruto die. When the others arrived, many of them were in shock at seeing how Kakashi, who was known for his tardiness, appeared to be early. Those who knew why he was frequently tardy were not surprised at all and gave Kakashi their condolences.

Might Guy was among them. He was here to support his self declared "eternal rival" in Kakashi's time of need. Guy also brought his students, Rock Lee, Hyuuga Neji and Tenten so they could learn to deal with the loss of a comrade and possible help Kakashi's surviving students as well.

Speaking of them, Sakura and Sasuke were also in attendance, dressed in their black funeral clothes. They had not come together though. Sasuke was one of the first to arrive after Kakashi and joined the man at his side. Sakura arrived later, along with her parents. They had reluctantly come with their daughter, who insisted on attending, despite her frail emotional state.

At first, Sakura was not sure how to deal with Naruto's death. So, as she usually did, she put Sasuke first before her own problems and tried to help him with his own grief. Sakura thought he was bottling his emotions and needed an outlet for them, as he had trouble expressing them, which could lead to showing them in a way he would regret. Unfortunately, Sakura had no idea she would be the one to make that mistake.

Her failure to get Sasuke to open up about his grief eventually caused her to snap and blame him for Naruto's death, an action she immediately regretted, as she realized Sasuke had felt he was responsible for it. The last loyal Uchiha obtaining the mangekyou sharingan as a result of the guilt he felt was proof of it. In addition, Sasuke had the memory of Naruto's death and his own defeat at the hands of the one who killed his blond team-mate permanently preserved in his memory by his blood-line limit, which would haunt his dreams for some time to come.

Sakura was right however in her assumption. Sasuke was bottling up his anger over not being able to save Naruto or defeat his murderer. To him, it was a sign he still had yet to obtain the power he needed to avenge his clan's murder at his brother's hands, and he may never become that strong, even with the mangekyou sharingan now at his disposal.

Needing an outlet for his anger, as he was still too weak to train himself to exhaustion like he usually did, Sasuke copied Sakura and verbally lashed out at her. He pointed out how she was just as bad as Naruto, neglecting her own training at times in favour of pursuing a relationship with him that he did not want while constantly rejecting Naruto. Sasuke had thought he had made it abundantly clear that he could not stand the idea of getting close to someone until he killed the man who took everyone he cared about away from him in the first place.

There was a moment of silence between the two after that. Sasuke had, after many years, finally opened up about his grief from losing his clan. Sakura just had her crush confront her about her faults. Neither had spoken to the other since then. Sakura learned she had to get over her own grief from Naruto's death and become a better person if she wanted to be Sasuke's friend and a trusted team-mate again, which was all she would be for some time. Sasuke learned he would have to stop keeping his pain to himself and accept help to overcome it.

The other two passing teams from their class were in attendance as well, as this was the first funeral for someone from not only their class, but from their generation. All of their parents, or at least those who still had both were with them along with their instructors.

In addition to the remainder of Team Seven, as well as those from Team Eight and Team Ten, their instructor from the academy, Umino Iruka was present. He was doing his best to console Ayame and Teuchi, the father and daughter duo that ran the Ichiraku ramen bar that he, along with Naruto, frequently ate at.

Several other regulars from the restaurant were also present. They had seen more of Naruto over the years then many others had, and held no ill will to him anymore. They all agreed that the little ramen stand would not seem as bright and cheerful without Naruto there telling stories of his latest pranks.

Speaking of his pranks, eternal chunin Kamizuki Izumo and Hagane Kotetsu were also paying their respects to Naruto, as they had heard of his antics and found them quite humorous. A few others who shared the sentiment and were fortunate enough not to be a victim of them were also in attendance.

Last, but not least, was Sarutobi Konohamaru, and his two closest friends, Moegi and Udon. They were being escorted by Konohamaru's private tutor, Ebisu, who was also here to pay his respects to the boy who had such a positive influence on his pupil.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was to give the eulogy himself, was pleased by the turnout. While he would have preferred that this be a task left to his descendants and not himself, the Third Hokage felt it was his responsibility alone to perform, and was glad there would be many here to see it.

'_If only Naruto knew just how many lives he had affected, and how many are missing him right now.' _Sarutobi lamented as he began the service.

ZzZzZzZ

Much later, once the eulogy was done, a moment of silence was held for Naruto's memory, where everyone gathered thought about how his loss affected them all. Sarutobi did not reveal Naruto's true heritage or the secret of his burden, preferring to wait so the revelation would not yet influence the views of those who would mourn his loss, but allow them to grieve for the boy as they remembered him.

'_Naruto, I won't forget your final words to me, as it is a curse of your unexpected gift.' _Sasuke thought as he tried not to relive Naruto's final moments once more, as he had done several times since his death._ 'I will complete your dream as part of my ambition and become the Hokage you could not. More than that, I will kill the hunter-ninja who killed you as I become strong enough to kill my brother.' _

On the other end of the assembled mourners, Sakura too was making a final prayer for Naruto that he would never hear.

'_I am so sorry for all that I have done to you. I don't know if I could ever love you like I thought I loved Sasuke, but I would have liked to have been your friend. I don't think I can be even called that. If I could, I'd go back and we would be the friends we both needed for each other.'_

Even Kakashi, who always wore a real and metaphorical mask, for reasons known only to a handful, showed deep remorse over Naruto's death.

'_I'm sorry I wasn't closer to you. We should have been like brothers, but I felt I had been cursed to lose anyone close to me, so I kept my distance from you. Now, you are the first person since Obito who died while under my command.'_

The guilt and shame Kakashi felt since learning of Naruto's death for not following his own credo had finally begun to lift at that point as the similarities between his deceased team-mate and student became apparent.

'_You and Obito would have gotten along just fine. I wonder what he would say to me now if he could. I bet he'd tell me his death was not my fault and stop being so distant. He'd be right, of course, not that I would admit that to him. Still, there are some people, like Guy, who consider me a sort of friend despite the risks involved. Maybe it's time became closer to people who can handle the risk, even settle down someday. I already know what to name my first three sons, if I'm lucky enough to have any.'_

Like Sakura, Kakashi would need time to overcome Naruto's loss, but not as much, as he was, quite sadly, more experienced with doing so. There was another however who, while closer to Naruto and also, sadly experienced with the pain of loss, also wished he had been closer to him.

'_Was I a good teacher to you, Naruto?' _Umino Iruka asked while he debated the answer with himself. _'If only I could have moved past my initial dislike of the Nine-Tails to get to know the real you.'_

Even Iruka, the first person Naruto truly cared for, felt deep regret for his past treatment of him. Like the others though, he learned from his mistakes in order not to repeat them.

'_I swear I'll be a better teacher from now on, so no one else will endure what you had to go through. I won't just be a better teacher, I'll be the best there ever was, believe it!' _Iruka thought, finishing on a line of his favourite student's for good measure.

Naruto would have been proud of Iruka, just as he was of Konohamaru.

'_Big brother Naruto, I won't forget our dream. I'll become the best Hokage ever, and I'll do it with the technique you taught me! No will ever dare mess with the Legendary Sexy Hokage!'_

Yes, Naruto would be proud indeed.

ZzZzZzZ

Once the moment of silence was over and each person had left a single white flower before the memorial stone, the assembled mourners gathered together in groups to discuss their memories of Naruto.

One such group consisted of the younger members of Team Eight, Aburame Shino, Hyuuga Hinata and Inuzuka Kiba, who stood closest to the memorial stone while their instructor, Yuuhi Kurenai, spoke to their parents.

"Are you okay, Hinata?" Kiba asked her.

She did not reply, but continued to stare off at the memorial, as she had been doing for quite some time.

"Would you like to pet Akamaru?" Kiba asked again, holding up his nin-dog.

Hinata still did not reply.

Kiba shrugged, not knowing what he could do to make Hinata feel better. Turning to his other team-mate, Aburame Shino, Kiba noticed him gesturing to speak in private, as Hinata's father, sister and cousin were all present, keeping a distant eye on her.

"I don't get it. I know Hinata is upset, but I don't know what to do about it!" Kiba said to Shino, venting his frustrations.

Shino did not reply either.

"Oh don't you start with the silent treatment now!" Kiba yelled at his other normally silent team-mate.

A ghost of a smirk appeared on Shino's face before disappearing. Kiba caught it, and the thought registered that Shino allowed him to see it, which, under the circumstances, only slightly angered him.

"I am glad you are not so consumed by our comrade's death that your fundamental character has changed. Why? You are the emotional balance to my logic in our team, the so called heart of Team Eight. However, while your concern for Hinata is admirable, have you considered the thought that it may not be up to you to help her, or that there may not be anything we can do to help her now until we help ourselves?"

Kiba blinked and Akamaru just tilted his head, as neither had yet become used to Shino's manner of speaking. That is, normally being silent but then making long explanations or profound statements.

"I suppose you're right." Kiba said, shrugging his shoulders in defeat. "I've been so caught up in worrying about how Hinata is feeling I keep forgetting about how I feel. Naruto was my friend once, and while we fell out, we could have been better friends if we hadn't."

"I agree. You and Naruto are much alike." Shino said.

Under the circumstances, Kiba took that as a compliment.

"That said, now you can begin to understand what Hinata is feeling." Shino continued. "You feel regret for not being closer friends with Naruto. How do you believe she is coping, considering her feelings for the him?"

A widening of his eyes from Shino's revelation and a sigh were Kiba's initial responses to that question.

"Oh man, but is there anything we can do for her?" Kiba asked, his primary concern still Hinata's wellbeing.

Shino stayed silent, pondering another topic.

'_Yes, his heart is in the right place. At first, I had my doubts about his emotional tendencies, but his priorities seem to be in the right place. There seems to be a future for our team after all.'_

"Not at this time, no." Shino said a moment later. "Why? She will not express herself to us. Perhaps Kurenai-sensei could help Hinata, as she may be more expressive with someone she considers a role model. Until she does respond to us again, we can only do what is expected of us as her team-mates. For now though, we can still help each other. Tell me, how did you and Naruto have a falling out?"

"I'll tell you if you tell me how you're handling his death." Kiba responded, grinning in a fashion that displayed his fangs.

"Hmph. Very well." Shino acquiesced, as he began to express himself as best he could on the matter.

Both Kiba and Shino had concerns they would have a hard time co-operating due to their widely different personalities. After this day, neither one had any worries that they would not get along.

As for the other member of Team Eight, Hinata was one of the few who were profoundly hurt by Naruto's death.

'_I was such a coward. If only I had spoken to you sooner, told you how I felt, would you still be here with us, with me?' _Hinata thought as she gazed non-stop at the memorial stone, not even blinking or taking notice of anything else around her. '_If only things had been different…' _

The words "if only" had been thought many times that day as just about every person asked themselves, "What could I have done differently?"

'_No, I can't go on thinking like this. You never gave up, so I won't either.' _Hinata vowed to herself. _'I'll change and become stronger even if it kills me.'_

Life could be cruel like that.

Having made her decision to change, no matter what the consequences may be, Hinata finally turned away from the memorial stone and approached Kurenai, who was now talking with Hinata's father, Hyuuga Hiashi. Her mind was now made up. For her first act as a new person, Hinata would stand up to her own father.

While one girl made a life changing decision that led to her most courageous act to date, an event that all those who were fortunate to witness it agreed was a spectacular sight they would never forget, there were others, like the members of Team Ten, consisting of Akimichi Choji, Nara Shikamaru and Yamanaka Ino, who would also come to acknowledge their faults and change for the better.

"Choji, I can't believe you're eating at a time like this!" Ino said to her team-mate, who was rapidly consuming a bag of potato chips.

"I can't help it." The rotund boy answered. "I thought I wouldn't feel like eating either from being so depressed, but when I feel like that I always eat to feel better. Besides, I don't think Naruto would have wanted me to feel bad." Choji finished, getting an agreeing nod from Shikamaru.

Ino huffed, conceding the point as she did not know Naruto as well as her team-mates did.

'_That doesn't mean I'll let you two get away with being lazy just by saying "it's what Naruto would have wanted".' _Ino thought, making a mental note to herself.

Ino also noticed that while Choji was coping with Naruto's loss in his own way, Shikamaru had been silent and appeared to be in deep thought. He was still aware of his surroundings though and noticed Ino's gaze settling on himself. Sighing, he spoke up.

"Have either of you heard the chunin exam motto?" Shikamaru asked his team-mates.

"No." Ino replied immediately, then shot a glare to Choji, who swallowed his chips first before responding.

"No." Choji said, then resumed his comfort snacking.

"Well, it goes like this. If you lack heaven, seek wisdom, be prepared. If you lack earth, run in the field, seek advantages." Shikamaru explained.

Ino and Choji nodded along, wondering where he was going with this.

"Basically, it's about covering your weaknesses. Heaven refers to knowledge and earth to physical strength and stamina. For example, I could benefit by training more since my low stamina is my weakness." Shikamaru continued.

"Wouldn't that be too troublesome for you?" Choji joked to lighten the mood.

Shikamaru just shot him a serious look.

"When it becomes a matter of life or death, nothing is too troublesome."

That line drew shocked looks from Shikamaru's team-mates, who now understood the gravity of the situation and gave him their full attention.

"What I'm saying is, what happened to Naruto and his team could happen to us. We need to be prepared. Choji, you are the brawn of our team while I'm the brains, so from now on we should spar and hit the books together more often." Shikamaru said, gesturing to his oldest friend.

"I guess that makes me the beauty." Ino said, pleased when Shikamaru and Choji nodded and smiled in agreement, not that they would say otherwise right in front of her. "Seriously though, how does this "heaven and earth" philosophy affect me?"

Shikamaru sighed again, as he hoped the seriousness of the discussion and agreeing with her being pretty would make Ino more receptive to what he was going to say next.

"You have a good balance of each quality. Your academy grades are proof of that, having the best overall grades even though Sasuke was rookie of the year." Shikamaru said to her, making Ino beam with pride.

It was a matter of pride for her to be the second highest ranked student in her class. Ino did not mind Sasuke beating her scores in the ninjutsu, taijutsu and genjutsu categories, but her rivalry with Sakura meant she did like it when the pink haired girl not only beat her on every written examination, but was placed on Sasuke's team, leading to many people mistakenly believing Sakura to be the top kunoichi from her class. Now, Ino was not so sure she would have fared better than her friend-turned-rival on her ill fated mission.

"That said though, Ino, to be perfectly honest, your performance doesn't match the data." Shikamaru finished, making Ino shoot a darkened glare at him.

"What did you say?" Ino quietly growled, not wanting to make a scene at a funeral.

"I said you should be much better than you really are. Based on the facts, you should be able to defeat anyone here except Sasuke, but I'd bet that if you fought Sakura, you would only tie her at best."

Ino continued to glare at Shikamaru for a bit before sighing as well.

"You're right, as usual. So what do we do about it?" Ino asked.

"We train and grow stronger, study and become smarter, and above all, we stick together, always." Shikamaru said.

"Yeah, always." Ino added.

Choji had a mouth full of chips, so he just nodded, feeling the same.

Nearby, Asuma stood with their parents, secretly listening in on his students.

'_I think they'll be just fine. Maybe even better than they were. I just wish their wake up call didn't come in such a matter.' _Asuma thought of them.

ZzZzZzZ

Long after the funeral was over, only Sasuke and Kakashi remained. The youth was still coming to terms with another loss, while the elder of the two had finally decide it was time to move on from his.

"Sasuke," Kakashi began, stirring his student from his mourning, "I think it's time I told you how I received my sharingan."

The last loyal Uchiha remained silent, but looked towards his instructor, curious about the tale.

"You could call it a gift for my promotion to jonin from my team-mate and best friend, Uchiha Obito. It went like this…"

For the remainder of the day, instead of reliving the day Obito died and he received his sharingan, Kakashi told the tale to Sasuke. When it was done, he told more stories about his time as a student of Naruto's father and their old team with Obito and Rin.

ZzZzZzZ

Elsewhere, Sarutobi had retired to his office so he could ponder what to do now that the boy he hoped to one day succeed him was dead.

"Jiraiya, you might as well reveal yourself. I knew you were here the moment I entered the room." Sarutobi called out to the shadows.

A second later, a shimmer of light appeared and disappeared, revealing the Toad Sage.

"You know, you and the princess are the only ones who can detect me when I use my transparent escape technique." Jiraiya said. "I know the princess is just incredibly paranoid about me peeking on her," he said, crossing his arms, "but I've never figured out how you manage to always do so."

"Experience, of course. While there is no prouder day for a teacher than that of their students surpassing them, I would not be the Hokage after all this time if I was not still in my prime." Sarutobi explained with a proud smile.

"Still in your prime. I can't believe that. I mean I can, considering how good I still am." Jiraiya said, shaking his head in disbelief. "I mean, if I were to face my younger self, even with his younger body, I know enough tricks to make me, uh, him look like a rookie genin."

"That is the beauty of being a shinobi. Aging doesn't make us weak and frail; it provides us with knowledge from our experiences that keep us from making the same mistakes twice."

"Yeah, mistakes." Jiraiya said softly.

"So why exactly are you here?" Sarutobi said, his previous joyful manner from speaking to his student replaced by a serious and grim tone.

"I admit I have made many mistakes and bad decisions in my life. I hope this next one is not one of them. This village needs me now, so I am going to be here for it." Jiraiya responded in a serious manner as well. "I wasn't there for Naruto, and that is one of my greatest failures." He admitted, slipping from the solemn tone for a moment. "I am not going to make any more mistakes, nor am I going to leave a legacy of failures behind when I die. I _am_ going to make up for everything I have done. That is why I want to, no, will succeed you and become the Fifth Hokage."

ZzZzZzZ

A few days later, Sasuke made his way to team seven's usual meeting spot for their first meeting since Naruto's funeral. Before, he would arrive first, followed by Sakura who would ask him for a date and he would just shrug and dismiss her. Then Naruto would arrive and ask Sakura out only to be refused as well, but much less politely. Now, it was just Sasuke awaiting Kakashi's arrival.

For once, Sasuke did not have to wait for long. In a break from his normal habits, Kakashi arrived at the normal scheduled meeting time. The last loyal Uchiha was tempted to use his sharingan to make sure it was his instructor and not an impostor, but the look in the Copy-Ninja's visible eye was one of holding back immense grief that assured Sasuke it really was Kakashi.

"Where is Sakura?" Sasuke asked, thinking Kakashi would know, as while they were still not on speaking terms, he was curious about what had become of her since the funeral.

"Sakura will not be joining us again for some time. She is on a leave of duty until she has come to terms with Naruto's death. I informed her of someone who could help her overcome her grief so Sakura will be in her company until she is ready to return to active duty. That is, if she is ever ready to do so." Kakashi explained.

Sasuke nodded in understanding. Unlike Sakura, he spent years overcoming the loss of his entire family where she had never experienced the loss of someone she knew. While he had yet to completely overcome his own grief, Sasuke had an easier time dealing with Naruto's death.

"By the way Sasuke, that is an interesting look for you." Kakashi commented.

Instead of his old clothes, which consisted of a blue t-shirt with the Uchiha crest on the back with white shorts and arm warmers, Sasuke was now dressed just like Uchiha Obito. He had found some clothes of his deceased cousin and had a tailor make more just like them. He even wore a pair of goggles, to help protect Naruto's dying gift, the mangekyou sharingan.

As Obito, who was similar in personality to Naruto, had helped changed Kakashi like Naruto had done for him, Sasuke decided a change of wardrobe was needed. He was not comfortable wearing an orange jumpsuit, but found Obito's style to be a nice blend of Naruto's and his own.

"Alright, let's get started." Kakashi said, changing to a more serious tone. "Now that you have unlocked the sharingan, it is imperative that you master it."

'_After all,' _Kakashi thought to himself, _'we only have nine years to prepare for _its _return…'_

ZzZzZzZ

While Sasuke was resuming his training with Kakashi, now becoming the man's apprentice, Sakura was seeking help of her own. She had been advised by Kakashi of someone he used to know who could help her overcome her pain, as this person experienced and therefore knew exactly what she was going through.

Said person though lived in a cabin deep into the woods outside of the Hidden Leaf Village's main wall, leaving Sakura on her own to seek out the mystery acquaintance of Kakashi.

'_Why would someone want to live out here?' _Sakura wondered as she fought to make her way through the woods, as they lacked a beaten path. _'They would be completely cut off from society. Is this why Kakashi-sensei sent me out here? Was he worried I'd turn out like whoever lives out here?'_

When she finally made it to the door of the cabin, Sakura cleaned up her appearance as best as she could, and then knocked gently on the door. The inhabitant was a former chunin, and may have detected her presence already.

"Come in, I was told to expect you." A voice called out from inside the cabin.

Sakura entered, and after making a brief examination of the residence, her eyes met the gaze of its owner. Unlike what she was expecting, the occupant was a young woman with short brown hair and matching eyes. Her most striking feature was a pair of violet rectangles that appeared to be tattooed on her face, which Sakura thought may have been clan markings.

'_There's something familiar about this woman; I feel like I've seen her before…' _Sakura wondered.

"My name is Rin, just Rin." The woman said.

With that introduction Sakura realized why the woman was familiar. She had seen her once before, in an old photograph in Kakashi's apartment the time her former team had been there. Rin was Kakashi's only surviving team-mate.

ZzZzZzZ

Author's Note: Here's a random observation. If Kakashi considers himself cursed in that all those close to him die, does that mean in all those bashing fics where he favours Sasuke, Kakashi actually hopes the curse will kill him too? Or, if Kakashi really does favour him because of Obito, what would happen if Sasuke disliked Obito for being a disgrace to the Uchiha and being too similar to Naruto and told Kakashi as much? Food for thought.

Also, I'm aware the chapter is sparse on details in certain areas. I'm still considering doing another story centering on Sasuke's side of the events taking place with him as the main character, so that story, should I write it, will contain the bulk of the details concerning events in the Hidden Leaf Village and those who reside there. Sometimes I wonder if it would have been better to start with Sasuke's side, just to keep Naruto's survival a major plot twist.

Also, since I've been out of contact with my beta for so long, I need a new one. If there's anyone who's an experienced writer and editor willing to help on not just this story, but my other existing stories and future projects, let me know.


	15. Leader of Men and Women

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto

Zabuza's Seven

Chapter 15: Leader of Men (and Women)

After a few days of traveling to the north-east, Zabuza and company had moved from the warm mountains of Hot Spring Country to the cold mountains of Frost Country, home of the Hidden Frost Village. The country had a tenuous treaty between the Hidden Mist Village and the Hidden Cloud Village. It was also the nearest base of operations for the Hidden Mist Village's rebels on the main continent.

Having been given directions to the base by one of his informants, Zabuza was now leading his followers down a hidden trail, designed to allow the Mist rebel scouts to discern trailblazers from those seeking them out. Naruto was quite sure they had gone in circles at times, as he could have sworn he had seen an unusual wolf watching them several times now, but understood from his days of escaping his pursuers after a prank that it was done on purpose to discourage said pursuers, or to signal others of their intention by following a certain path.

That did not mean he was happy at the moment. His whole life as he knew it had changed. The few bright spots seemed to be from his new companions, Haku and Amaru, who he felt a closer bond to than his former team-mates, and even Zabuza, who wished to see Naruto fulfill his potential, even though the blond understood the Demon of the Mist only saw him as another useful tool, for the moment anyway.

Since they were traveling in relative silence, with the only sounds being made consisting of their footfalls through the snowy terrain and the many branches and fallen logs they avoided that appeared to have been deliberately placed to be in their way, every noise seemed much louder than usual, such as when Naruto stepped on a branch that had been well concealed under the snow.

Only Amaru flinched at the noise while the others took stock of the entirety of their surroundings as she did so before moving on, as they had been doing for some time.

"There is a training method designed to teach the art of stealth in environments such as this by enforcing a penalty to those who fail." Kimimaro commented to Naruto in a quiet tone. "One bone broken for every branch broken underfoot. Or was that for trespassing? I do not remember."

Naruto had not yet learned to tell if the last of the Kaguya clan was joking or not, but did not think the older boy was the type to do so. A quick glance at Haku showed the effeminate male to be smiling, but Naruto was not sure whether that was a reaction to Kimimaro's different sense of humour or due to being in a more comfortable environment.

For a moment, Naruto wished he possessed the ice release bloodline-limit and the tolerance for the cold it granted, even if it meant he was cursed to be as beautiful as the Snow Maidens from which is was said to be derived. A glance at Amaru, who was beside him, showed Naruto she may have been thinking along similar lines.

While Haku was dressed in his usual style of loose kimono, which Naruto had learned was adopted due to the lack of freedom and loss of mobility that pants caused him for a reason the blond did not understand, Amaru was bundled up in a bulky jacket and an extra pair of pants. As a fellow native of Fire Country, Naruto too felt out of place in the cold environment, but could tolerate it better.

It was amusing to note, at least to Naruto it was, the oddities involving his two new companions. Simply put, Haku was a boy who grew to like dressing like a girl while Amaru was a girl who preferred to not only dress like a boy, but act like one as well. She did not always act that way though.

Last night, while resting in front of a fire, Amaru had removed her bandana, which was soaked from the snow, to let it dry out in front of the fire. While Naruto could see why the redhead could be mistaken for a boy while she wore it, once she removed it, he could only see her as a girl. With her hair now down and her cheeks red from the cold, making it look like she was blushing, he thought she was in fact, a rather pretty girl.

Naruto now shifted his gaze back over to Amaru, surprised how a simple bandana could change his perception of her.

'_When Amaru wears her bandana, she looks and acts like a boy. When she takes it off and lets her pretty hair down, she looks and acts like the girl she really is.'_

When she acted like a girl, Amaru and Naruto were still a bit awkward around each other. She was not too comfortable behaving like a proper lady and he was nervous about his feelings for her and upsetting her.

'_It's not like it was with me and Sakura. She was always nice around Sasuke but could be really mean to me sometimes. You'd think after all the times Sasuke has hurt her, she would feel bad about doing the same to me. She had her good points though, like when she tried to warn me Kakashi-sen-, I mean Mr. Hatake was about to attack me during the bell test, or when she helped me after I asked her if there was a trick to climbing trees.'_

Naruto was not yet over his feelings for Sakura, but after his experience with the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon during his coma, he had come to accept that she may never reciprocate his feelings and if she did, it would only be after a great effort on his part. Whether that effort would be worth it was another question entirely.

With Amaru, she had no prior knowledge of him beyond their unfortunate meeting to bias her against him like the other girls of his former village, save Ayame who he was too young for. She was also in a situation where forming a romantic relationship was likely out of the question and decided to enjoy the only chance for one, limited as they thought it was at the time.

Naruto had not realized it, but thanks to the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon, he had learned an important lesson. He would not always win every battle or obtain every goal he set by sheer determination and effort alone. Sometimes, it was for the best to admit when he had lost and move on. In another lifetime, Naruto would have gladly promised anything as part of his efforts to accomplish a goal he had set for himself. This time, he would think carefully before a making such a promise.

"Naruto! Quit spacing off or you'll get your slow-ass left behind!" Amaru called back to him in her normal harsh tone, but without any real hint of malice.

During his ruminations she had continued to advance onward, leaving him to fallow after her.

"Don't worry about that," Haku said with a giggle at their antics, "we're almost there now."

Dense as he was at times, even Naruto was aware of the odd behaviour of his new friends.

'_Amaru and Haku could learn how to act like a girl and boy from each other.'_

His own interaction with them was also a bit strange. While Naruto knew for certain that Amaru was a girl and Haku was a boy, the way they look and acted contradicted with that entirely. Thus, while Naruto was comfortable with Amaru when she acted like a boy, he would on occasion be struck by an unforgettable memory that would always remind him she was a girl. As for Haku, while he was also comfortable with him for the most part, every now and then Haku's feminine actions would catch Naruto off guard and make him forget his pretty companion was really a boy.

'_I bet someone is having a real good laugh over this.' _Naruto thought as he wondered if all teams were like this, even if he, Amaru and Haku were not a true team. _'They're not the only ones. Who knew the Demon brothers could cook, or that Kimimaro was a neat freak?'_

While he was not as bad as Naruto had thought, Kimimaro's aversion to trash was not limited to those he looked down upon, as he did most of the cleaning for the group and even insisted on recycling.

'_I guess it's true. The stronger you are, the stranger you get.' _

ZzZzZzZ

A short time later, the party's march was halted by the whistling of several kunai as they sailed through the air, landing around Zabuza and company. A seal wrapped around the handle of each kunai pulsed, creating a thin barrier. Naruto was on alert, moving to defend Amaru if needed, but the others showed no reaction, as if expecting the turn of events.

"Halt, trespassers. What business do you have in our lands?" A voice called out from past the barrier.

"You're going to lose your sword if your shoulder belt is too loose." Zabuza replied using the Mist rebels' identification phrase, trying not to roll his eyes in exasperation.

"They're on our side, should we take down the barrier?" One of the rebels asked their squad commander.

"I don't know, but that's Momochi Zabuza, the Demon of the Mist. There is no way of knowing if he is on our side or not." Another pointed out.

"Stand down and let them through." Another new voice called out, this one more authoritative than the others as they immediately did as he said. "Be sure to collect the barrier kunai you threw as well."

The rebels maintaining the barrier by channelling chakra through ninja wire attached to each kunai then stopped and switched to water chakra, allowing them to manipulate the wire and recall the kunai rather than picking them up by hand.

Once the barrier was down, the authoritative speaker, a man with blue hair and an eye-patch, approached Zabuza.

"It's good to see you have finally decided to officially join our cause, Momochi Zabuza. The Decapitating Carving Knife and its master, along with his company, are a welcome sight. Come, the site of our base is just ahead."

"Thank you Ao," Zabuza responded, swallowing his pride before the other man, "my men and I have been travelling for days and could use some rest."

While he had more funds, supplies and people under his command now than he ever had since his last failed deathblow against the Mizukage, Zabuza knew he would still not succeed with another. However, by combining his resources with that of the rebels, they could succeed. While he would have liked to become Mizukage, ending the civil war was more important. Zabuza was just thankful that he had not burned too many bridges and could still earn a place in the Hidden Mist Village's new hierarchy.

"You and your men will have a chance to rest, just as soon as you're cleared by our leader. Let's go." Ao replied as he then began to guide Zabuza and company the rest of the way to the rebel's base.

As they walked the remaining distance, Naruto addressed Haku.

"Why did they let us pass so easily?" He asked the effeminate male. "I thought you guys weren't really part of the rebellion and would have to fight your way in."

"_We_ are part of the rebellion now." Haku corrected Naruto, reminding the blond that he was one of them now. "As for the answer to your question, I believe Master Zabuza has been sending funds to the rebels in secret for years now and only their leaders knew in order to protect us. That man who spoke to him was Ao, the commander of the hunter-ninja. I believe he is also responsible for ensuring that missing-ninja loyal to the rebel's cause are not targeted either."

Accepting the explanation with a nod, Naruto continued on, a part of him still trying to convince himself that he was now working towards saving a country and not betraying his own.

ZzZzZzZ

Once arriving in the rebel base, which consisted of several scattered and well concealed tents and cabins among the snow-covered trees of Frost Country, Zabuza and company were escorted to a gazebo-like structure where they were allowed to rest before meeting the rebel leader while enjoying some hot food and drinks.

While they had relaxed somewhat, none of the shinobi had let down their guard as even Amaru knew they were still being observed. She stayed close to Naruto as waited in silence, feeling almost as out of place as he did. Beginning to feel restless, the red-head decided to do something with her time.

"Naruto, take off that your bandana, I need to check how your hair is re-growing."

Seeing as she was still wearing her own bandana, thus locked into harsh mode, Naruto complied with the request without complaint. As he remained seated, Amaru stood behind him and began to examine his scalp.

"It looks like it's about a quarter of an inch long. You're showing a faster than average growth rate, so you'll have a full head of hair again within a month." Amaru said as she ran a hand through Naruto's short, fuzzy hair while inspecting for bumps.

Naruto hissed in a breath as he felt a tingling sensation through his body as Amaru's hands worked their way across his scalp. He rarely had any physical contact with anyone and this was the second most intimate experience he ever had. It felt nice to him and he found himself wishing he and Amaru could have more moments like this before his thoughts from earlier in the day returned.

'_I need to be a good friend to Amaru now because that is what she needs right now. What should I do for her then?'_

Amaru had finished her examination by that point and moved away. Looking over at her, Naruto noticed she had removed her own bandana, which was wet and cold from the snow, leaving her hair damp and messy. She was now trying to comb it, but with little success. Seeing his opening now that the red-head was in her sweet mode, he moved over to her side.

"Do you need help?" Naruto asked Amaru, who was still trying in vain to tame her hair.

Glancing at Naruto, her vision slightly obscured by tendrils of her hair obscuring her vision, Amaru handed the brush to him and turned to let him attempt to untangle her messy mane.

Being as gentle as possible, Naruto slowly began to pull the brush through Amaru's long, red hair. Careful not to get it caught on any knots, he tenderly massaged them away, becoming pleased when he heard she make a contented sigh. After what felt like an entirely too short amount of time, her messy, damp hair was now much straighter and drier looking.

"Thanks, no one has ever done that for me before." Amaru said as she turned back to face Naruto, showing that she had a slight blush that he felt made her look quite pretty.

Amaru then pulled her hair into a ponytail and put back on her now dried bandana.

"I could have done it on my own though." She said, her reddened face now giving the appearance of being mad with indignation.

As a confused Naruto was reminded that he initially mistook Amaru for a boy, he had a simple thought.

'_Amaru sure is weird, but I like weird people.'_

ZzZzZzZ

A short time later, Ao returned to address the seven potential new members of the rebellion.

"Follow me." He said as he began to direct all of them to the meeting tent, where the leader of the rebels waited with their bodyguard.

Naruto was unsure what to expect of who could soon be the next Mizukage. A part of him thought it would be an elderly man, like the Third Hokage, whose bodyguard was twice as big as Zabuza and wielded a blade three times as large as his. The blond was definitely not expecting to soon see Ao address a woman with long red hair, standing with her back to Zabuza and company and no huge bodyguard in sight.

"Ma'am, I have brought Momochi Zabuza along with his apprentices, the Demon Brothers and their medic." Ao said as he saluted his superior.

"Thank you Ao." She said, turning to face her guests and eliciting some amusing reactions as she revealed herself to be a young woman with a pleasant smile wearing a long blue dress that left little to the imagination.

About half of the gathered males blushed at the sight of her despite their training and wished they could be sitting down, while Amaru, the only other female in the group, was torn between feelings of jealousy and respect for the leader of the rebels; a woman who was sure to be strong.

"Welcome to the rebellion. I am Terumi Mei, leader of the Mist rebel forces and, if things go according to plan, the future Fifth Mizukage." She said with her ever present smile that likely had sent many men quite willingly to their deaths.

Before she could continue, Ao decided to give them a reminder of Mei's status.

"I hope you know that our leader's time is precious; she was formerly engaged in-"

'_Formerly engaged to be married?' _Mei thought during Ao's lecture, her lone visible eye turning dark as her smile never left her attractive face.

"-determining how to orchestrate the deathblow despite a lack of needed resources, which is why it is fortunate you came when you did. We may have been forced to postpone or even cancel-"

'_Postpone the wedding? Cancel it!' _Mei thought once more as he eye grew darker.

"-the deathblow." Ao finished with a relieved laugh, which finally set Mei off.

"Ao, shut up or I'll kill you." She said, causing him to quiet down with a shocked look as the others gained a deeper sense of respect or enamouring for her. "Ah, where are my manners?" Mei continued as she turned back to address Zabuza and company. "This is my bodyguard, Chojuro. Step forward and introduce yourself."

Naruto silently cursed himself as his newly-rampant hormones caused him to miss out on noticing Mei's bodyguard, who turned out to be a boy with a slight blush who looked as young as he was.

"Hello, I'm Chojuro. I'm an orphan, but I'm descended from one of the clans of the Seven Swordsmen, and I'll become a member of the group once we end the civil war. I already have one of the seven swords, Hiramekarei." He finished, gesturing to the fish-shaped sword strapped to his back that appeared to be as big and heavy as he was.

"Very good Chojuro." Mei said to him, making him blush even more. "What about your people Zabuza?" She asked the Demon of the Mist. "I am familiar with yourself and the Demon Brothers, but not with the others."

Zabuza nodded and moved from his place in the line-up to stand beside Haku.

"This is my first apprentice, Haku."

"You must be from the Yuki clan." Mei commented, getting a nod from Haku. "In that case, I can see you growing up to be the second most beautiful Mist ninja."

"Thank you, Miss Mei." Haku said politely as he gazed downwards to hide his own deepening blush, which stood out on his pale face.

Ignoring his apprentice's embarrassment upon being complimented for his looks from an ever more attractive woman, a rare event for Haku, Zabuza moved to stand by the next person in line.

"This is my second apprentice, Kimimaro of the Kaguya clan."

The dead bone pulse wielder nodded in greeting to Mei, in awe of her strength more than her beauty, but still by both.

"I am sorry to hear about your clan." Mei said with complete sincerity. "They were once loyal and respected shinobi of the Mist, long ago. I hope you can someday restore your family's honour."

"My clan's demise has more to do with their barbaric ways than the bigotry that spread through our homeland. I do not intend on repeating the mistakes of the past, ma'am." Kimimaro replied, already feeling a sense of respect for Mei.

Next, Zabuza moved to stand beside Naruto, placing a hand firmly on his shoulder just in case a trace of the old Naruto reappeared.

"This is my third and most recent apprentice," Zabuza said before pausing, as if unsure to continue, "Uzumaki Naruto."

The blond however, possibly due to finally learning there were girls and even women out there much more attractive than his pink-haired former team-mate, was unusually quiet and just nodded.

Mei just nodded back, but inside she was in shock.

'_Well well, Uzumaki Naruto, isn't this a surprise. I see the reports of your death have been greatly exaggerated.'_

"Hello Naruto. I would have expected you to be a red-head."

He blinked and briefly remembered the wig Haku had leant him before deciding no hair was better than long hair, forgetting that he had not put his bandana back on after taking it off earlier.

"Red hair is a common trait of the Uzumaki clan, but not exclusive to it, so I do not believe either I or your companion are related to you." Mei explained, gesturing to Amaru.

Naruto perked up at the mention of his clan, which he had no knowledge of. As an orphan, he felt it was strange to have a family name but for no one to have any information on his parents. Before he could voice his thoughts, Zabuza spoke again.

"Her name is Amaru; she is a medic who joined us after Naruto." He said, introducing the lone female in his group. "Amaru's training is incomplete, but as she was apprenticed to a master and has years of experience, I believe that her lack of medical ninjutsu will not be a problem."

"Very well, we are always looking for more healers. If Miss Amaru is as good as you say then we can help her finish her training." Mei said, secretly happy to have another red-headed female among their ranks.

"Very well, now that we have been introduced, Chojuro, escort Haku and Kimimaro to the sparring grounds so their skills can be tested. Ao, after you have shown Gozu and Meizu to the mess hall, where their talents will be of much use, please take Miss Amaru to the infirmary and have our chief medic appraise her knowledge. Zabuza, Naruto, I would like the both of you to remain."

One by one, each person did as they were told, leaving just Zabuza, Naruto and Mei, who now addressed the blond directly while the older man stood to the side.

"Naruto, I have news concerning you from your former village. It seems that a few days after your funeral, they released some previously classified information to the public."

Upon hearing her words, Naruto's mind immediately jumped to the worst possible conclusion; the man he once saw as a kindly grandfather to him had told everyone in a public address that the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon had been sealed inside him, and now the entire village was celebrating his death.

Seeing the panic begin to grow in his eyes, Mei swiftly spoke up once more to calm Naruto.

"Your status as a power of human sacrifice is still a village secret. They would not want any other village to know the balance of power held between them has shifted out of their favour." She assured him, wondering if she should have not tried to sugar-coat the news. "They disclosed the identity of your parents."

ZzZzZzZ

Naruto sat alone in a tent provided for him. Only earlier had he received life changing news, and considering everything that had happened to him recently, it was too much for him. Not knowing what to do, he merely asked for some privacy.

Once, there was a time when Naruto would have done anything to know who his parents were. Now, he felt he knew too much. For years, he had thought he was merely an orphan and considered himself lucky to know his family name, something more than most orphans could say. He could find no trace of information on his family, not that he had the aptitude for such a study, regardless of the strong motivation acting in compensation. Desire could not substitute ability. Neither could anyone tell him about his family, but as it turned out, they would not.

Naruto now knew the truth, as Mei had explained much to him. His mother, Uzumaki Kushina, was one of the last remaining members of the Uzumaki clan, the former leaders of the Hidden Eddy Village of Whirlpool Country. His clan was known for their prowess in sealing techniques, as well as their life-force which granted them longevity.

His healing factor, which had been incorrectly attributed to the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon's need to keep its host alive, was actually a bloodline-limit unique to his clan, closer in kind to Kimimaro's dead bone pulse as it was a physical trait as opposed to an elemental trait like Haku's ice release or an eye technique like Sasuke's sharingan.

The news that he was quite possibly the last of a once powerful clan that was feared and respected came as a shock to Naruto, who had only been treated with scorn by all save a few in his former village. Discovering that the Hidden Leaf Village and Hidden Eddy village were not only allies, but that the red spiral that adorned the uniforms of the shinobi of the Leaf, a symbol he had worn for years without knowing its meaning, was worn out of respect for the Hidden Leaf's fallen allied village, gave Naruto his first feeling of hatred since defeating Mizuki on that fateful night weeks ago.

At first he could not believe a village that would honour a fallen ally in such a way would treat one if its last survivor's son in such a manner, but in a world where his allies and enemies had switched, Naruto learned that anything was possible.

Anything, such as him being the son of a Hokage, Namikaze Minato, the Fourth Hokage to be precise. He had managed to come to terms with the man he thought of as a hero for saving the village also being the one who sealed the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon within him. Finding out that same man was his father was beginning to set back his recovery.

While he could begin to understand Namikaze's decision as the Hokage, Naruto could not understand the choice from the perspective of a parent and felt that unless a day came when he was forced to seal a tailed-beast into a child of his own, he would never understand that man's decision.

There was one silver lining to having the visions of his family shattered. Naruto now understood the connection he felt to his favourite colour. His parent's nicknames were the _Yellow Flash _and _Red Hot-Blooded Habanero_, so it made a strange kind of sense for any offspring of theirs to have a fascination with the colour orange.

Mei, understanding that while Naruto was unsure what to think of his newfound heritage, a part of him was still glad to know something of it at all. She offered to have a set of the Mist shinobi kimono style uniform made in orange and black for him, so he would be able to continue honouring his parent's memory.

Mei further advised him not to let anyone else take away his right to wear it, as anyone who would do so clearly did not understand him at all. He would not be the same Naruto everyone would come to love without his own love of anything orange.

Naruto however, surprised Mei with his newfound maturity by pointing out that said love of anything orange was well known in his former village. If he was seen wearing any by a shinobi of the Leaf, he could risk being recognized, as they would have come to associate the colour with him. Even with the mysterious loss of his whisker birthmarks the former Leaf ninja could still be recognized through his actions. They settled on red and black for his new uniform with orange reserved for casual clothing only.

That was only one of Naruto's problems though. He was unsure whether or not to continue using his real name and risk revealing his survival, adopt an alias until the time when it was safe to reveal himself, or take on a new name and leave Uzumaki Naruto truly dead and gone.

In the privacy of his temporary quarters, the boy who was unsure of himself took out all the possessions he now had, save the clothes on his back.

There were a few extra changes of clothing in Amaru's style and a bandana, which helped him to feel a connection to the tomboy.

A frog wallet, the only item from his previous life that carried on to his new one.

A pair of short swords; spoils of war that showed he had improved greatly and still had much to learn.

Finally, there was a book that was even autographed by its author. It was one of the few gifts the blond had ever received and one he would treasure. Feeling a compelling urge, he knew his answer lie within the novel's pages and began to seek it out.

ZzZzZzZ

It was some time later in the evening that the blond sought out Terumi Mei, having been given permission to meet the leader of the rebellion in her private quarters.

"So you've come to a decision." She stated, knowing it would still take some time for him to come to grips with his situation, but there were some things he could control.

"Yup, I've made up my mind." He said, a bit of his old self coming through. "I don't want to destroy the Hidden Leaf Village, but I don't have to save it either. My days of fighting to protect it are over. They died when I did."

The former shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village had never looked as serious as he did now.

"I've also decided what to call myself from now on." He continued, pulling out the book Jiraiya gave him as he did so. "A person's life is their story, and they're the main character. If the main character were to change, it would be a different story. It would become something other than the book I was given, and the main character wouldn't be Naruto. I can't write novels like this, so any sequel has to come from the life I live. Which is why no matter how much it hurts, I've got to keep walking, because that's who Naruto is!"

The boy who was and always would be called Naruto then smiled at the end of his speech for what appeared to be the first time since learning of his heritage.

"I'm glad you've managed to find yourself. I know you've been through a lot, but you have people who care about you here and much to contribute and we're glad to see you getting better." Mei said in a casual and comforting tone, taking the rare opportunity to act as a mother would instead of a leader.

Naruto kept up a smile to match Mei's own. She was right, he had Haku, Amaru and not only Zabuza, but maybe even more people who would become precious to him.

"Here, let me show you something." Mei said as she pulled out a unique kunai that Naruto let out a gasp upon seeing, as it was one of the few topics he actually studied. "This is one of the Fourth Hokage's tri-pronged kunai. I'd like you to have it." She said as she passed it to him.

Naruto hesitantly took hold of it. While he still had yet to accept the Fourth Hokage as his father, he did still revere the man as one of the most powerful shinobi who ever lived.

"I used to have a crush on him, as I'm sure many others did." Mei admitted, a part of her wondering what could have been. "In another life, I could have been your mother. I think I would have liked that." She continued, getting an embarrassed grin from Naruto. "That leads to my next offer. How would you like it if I adopted you?"

The question froze Naruto on the spot. He had long ago given up on anyone ever taking him in, the reason why they would not, or possibly _could_ not, evading him. It was several moments before he was composed enough for Mei to continue.

"I spoke to one of my lieutenants with a rather specialized duty. She helps find orphans with potential to become shinobi and helps families who are sympathetic to our cause take them in. I've had never considered the possibility of taking one in before, but I never thought I'd meet a child who could succeed me as Mizukage someday."

Naruto almost froze up again from Mei's statement. He considered his dream of becoming Hokage dead and gone, but never once did he consider the possibility that one day he could become the _Mizukage._

"We already have the falsified records prepared, we just need your approval. They will state that I am your mother's half-sister, and as your only living relative, I have a claim to be your guardian. Even if your survival is revealed to the Hidden Leaf Village, we might be able to deceive them with these. Well, what do you say, can I be your 'aunt Mei'?"

A reply came to Naruto's mind instantly, but the proper way to say it eluded him, as he was unsure how to express just how happy he was that someone wanted him. As they say, actions speak louder than words, so in a display that was reminiscent of the old Naruto, a person who was slowly coming back, the blond leapt at his new aunt and hugged her fiercely.

A part of Mei felt it was a sign of just how damaged Naruto was that he immediately accepted the offer of someone he had just met to become his legal guardian and wondered why he never had one before. She made a mental note to herself to have one of her spies in the Hidden Leaf Village, part of a network which she was able to run due in part to the funds continually sent to her by Zabuza and the other so called 'Missing-ninja' of the Hidden Mist Village, to look into Naruto's records.

As Mei looked down at her new nephew, a boy who was sure to become great someday, with a bigger smile than usual at not only Naruto's exuberance, but also how he landed his blind hug. It would be rather humorous when he opened his eyes and saw a glimpse of marshmallow hell.

ZzZzZzZ

It was early in the morning of the next day that Naruto found himself wandering the rebel's base, taking stock of his current circumstances. Only two days ago, he was an orphan who had been declared killed in action by his former village. As of today, or as soon as the falsified paperwork could be filed, he would be Terumi Naruto, shinobi of the Mist and the adopted nephew of Terumi Mei, the future Fifth Mizukage, until a time as such when it was safe to reveal his true identity. His future as a Mist shinobi had not been brought up, but was a given under the circumstances.

Naruto was still unsure of how to feel about the many changes in his life. While he had real friends now, a teacher who desired to see him fulfill his potential and even a proper guardian, which made him happier than he had been back in the Hidden Leaf Village, he found his goals and dreams in life were different now, yet similar to what they once were.

While his former dream of becoming Hokage was due to completely selfish reasons, had he fulfilled it, Naruto would have lead the village to the best of his ability. There were no underlying motives for his ambition beyond giving the village what he felt was a much needed attitude adjustment.

It was the stories he heard from Haku, Zabuza and Kimimaro about the Hidden Mist Village gave him a new perspective. In comparison, the Hidden Leaf Village was not so troubled as their homeland, which was on the brink of self-destruction. They not only needed Naruto's help, but wanted it from him, giving him a sense of purpose he had not felt before. The more Naruto learned of the troubles of the land he would soon call home, the more the blond felt he was needed more here and wanted to help him.

Whenever Naruto felt a bit of guilt over putting his old life behind him, he reminded himself of the last words he ever spoke to Uchiha Sasuke. Hopefully the Hidden Leaf Village would someday have a great leader to love and protect it as much as Naruto once did.

His new caretakers had already shown Naruto more concern than he could remember being shown. After learning of his near-death experience and his encounter with the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon, Mei insisted that she and Ao be allowed to observe his seal. She assured him that Ao, who possessed a transplanted Byakugan under his eye-patch that Naruto was embarrassed to know nothing about, was as skilled in sealing arts as she was out of necessity and would keep any information he learned confidential.

Neither had noticed anything wrong, although Naruto had no idea how they could tell if there was a problem by just staring at his seal and occasionally using what appeared to be a variant on a medical technique to examine it.

Mei and Ao did comment that it was a very powerful seal but showed signs of weakening, presumably when Naruto was close to death, and had been reinforced somehow by an internal source. The blond had no explanation for what that source could have been and did not wish to relive the experience, as he was still on medication to keep himself from dreaming of it, or anything for that matter.

ZzZzZzZ

A war meeting was being held between the leaders of the Mist rebellion. Mei was presiding, with Ao and Zabuza in attendance along with Chojuro, her ever present bodyguard whose youth belied his skill and strength. The others would hear only what they needed to know from those in attendance.

"The supplies brought to us by Zabuza have been properly processed and added to our inventories. Combined with the funds he has provided, this will allow us to complete stage one of the deathblow while ensuring our forces are properly outfitted. That leads to our most pressing problem.

"While we have many loyal shinobi at our disposal, many of them are only of chunin rank and equivalent skill. We only have a handful of jonin at our disposal while Yagura has many, including at least two members of his reconstruction of the Seven Shinobi Swordsmen of the Mist."

"They are only pretenders to the title, like Kurosuki. They may have blades fashioned after the original seven swords, or be lower ranking members of the original seven shinobi clans of the Mist, but their skill will never be a match to ours." Zabuza said.

"I am glad you brought that up, especially Kurosuki Raiga." Mei said, leaving Zabuza with a sinking feeling in his gut. "We have to accept now that most of the original seven swords are lost now and the seven clans have been splintered. There was once a time when a man like Raiga, who married into the Ringo clan, was seen as an outsider amongst the Seven Shinobi Swordsmen of the Mist and was treated harshly for it." She continued, her one visible eye locked on Zabuza the entire time. "Now, we have to accept that the former Seven Swordsmen are a thing of the past, and a new generation will become its future."

Expecting Zabuza to explode in anger from Mei's declaration, Ao and Chojuro shifted into battle stances, though it was more reluctantly and nervously in the case of the younger male. The Demon of the Mist surprised them however by staying silent, and only after a few moments did he let out a grudging sigh, followed by a relieved one from Chojuro.

"You are right," Zabuza hesitantly admitted. "I had been in denial ever since I learned I was the last surviving member of the Seven Shinobi Swordsmen of the Mist, not counting Kurosuki, but the era of the best shinobi of the Mist heralding from the seven major clans of Water Country is at an end. So, what is your plan for remaking the group then?"

"It is simple, but the reasons for my plan are not so simple to explain. I will try though." Mei said as she started her story. "For a time, I studied abroad to learn how to best wield my bloodline-limits, as information on them was close to nonexistent in Water Country." Mei began, surprising no one present at the mention of her bloodline-limits as they were among the few to know of them. "While I was in Fire Country studying fire techniques, I learned of an interesting concept. Have any of you ever heard of the "Will of Fire"?"

Chojuro shook his head, but Zabuza and Ao nodded.

"I thought so. Do either of you know what it means though?" Mei asked.

Zabuza and Ao shared a glance at each other, but after seeing that neither had a clue, shook their heads.

"I see. The concept is simple. It started as a belief held by the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama. He believed that love was the key to peace, and that it could be obtained not by fighting wars and forcing all others into submission, but by making allies instead of enemies and bonds of trust between nations and villages. He died before he could fulfill his dream, but he succeeded in passing on his belief to the shinobi of his village.

"Now, I am not saying that the resolution to our conflict is to simply forgive our transgressors and submit to their bigotry, far from it. That would solve their problems, not ours. I can however see the wisdom in extending an olive branch to an opponent instead of threatening them with a blade."

The others silently agreed that the civil war could only end in conflict, as neither side would willingly surrender, but rather fight to the bitter and bloody end than live under the other side's regime. Mei at least held out hopes that her tenure as Mizukage would be more benevolent than Yagura's but knew if she had to ruthlessly cut down her opposition, she would not hesitate to do so.

"So, by that reasoning, would it have been better if I had sought out a mutually beneficial accord with the Leaf ninja in Wave Country?" Zabuza asked Mei. "I have to say, I do not have a high opinion of them now."

"I would not count it as a possibility." Mei admitted. "Your groups were on two sides of the conflict, therefore both sides would have to be willing to trust the other. I can see having a newly independent nation with trading ties to Fire Country being a more valuable ally than an impoverished nation under the bureaucracy of a corrupt shipping magnate, but understand your choice in originally siding with Gato. In the end, the choices you made show why you are not suitable for becoming Mizukage."

"I am aware of that." Zabuza said, only slightly insulted as anyone would be but not showing it. "I know I am not yet suitable for leading a nation and its people, but as a leader of shinobi, of men and women willing to fight for their country, I will strive to become the greatest of them all. That is my dream."

"Well," Mei said, letting out a laugh, "I can see Naruto has been a good influence on you."

At that moment, Zabuza was glad his face was covered in bandages so no one was able to see his horrified expression.

"Continuing on, there is a second part to the belief behind the Will of Fire. I learned it from an elderly man I once played a game of Shogi with, who told me the story of how he once tried explaining it to his son at a crucial point in the younger man's life. The man asked his son who he though the "King" represented among the populace of the village. The son was torn between choosing the Hokage or the Daimyo, both important political figures. Even I was unsure who it was for a time."

Mei paused at that moment, letting each of the others try to decide who their "King" was."

"You don't have to ask me twice." Chojuro said almost immediately with rare bravery. "You're my King, err, Queen, ma'am, err, Miss Mei." He finished, the stumbling of his words eroding his courage slightly.

"Why thank you Chojuro." Mei said, leaving Chojuro blushing and without any courage once more. "Alas, there is no Queen in Shogi. How sexist."

"If you lose the King, you lose the game." Ao said, voicing his thoughts aloud. "Who is so important to a nation and a village that their loss would mean its end? The people, or the shinobi perhaps? I am not sure."

Zabuza was silent the longest, pondering his answer with utmost care as it was something he had only recently come to feel, but rarely admitted it, even to himself.

"It's Haku," he said, getting a surprised look from Ao and Chojuro with a pleased smile from Mei, "Kimimaro and even Naruto too. They are what is most important to me. The one's I have trained who will someday surpass me and train students of their own."

"A good answer. There is no correct answer, as it is up to each person to decide who their King is for themselves." Mei stated. "My King is the people of Water Country, who I will fight for to ensure their lives are not filled with hate and suffering. As for the man and his son, the answer I was given to who the man's King was, the answer that most closely corresponds to the Will of Fire, is closest to Zabuza's answer."

Ao and Chojuro looked at Zabuza in astonishment, though it was more concealed in the older ninja's case. Slowly, he and Zabuza came to realize Mei's intentions, which were confirmed when she placed a hand on Chojuro's shoulder, embarrassing him further with the physical contact.

"You can add Chojuro to those sentiments as well since he will also be a member of the Seven Shinobi Swordsmen of the Mist along with your apprentices." Mei continued. "As that once man told me, his King was that of his children and the next generation that would go on to surpass his own someday. Naruto, Chojuro, Haku, Kimimaro and one other will join together in becoming the next generation of the Seven Swordsmen as they are trained by and will surpass those who came before them."

Mei's proclamation was met by silence, as each processed what they had heard. Zabuza in particular was curious about two specific points.

"Is this why you said you were glad I mentioned Kurosuki earlier? You intend on having him join our side and possibly retake his old post?"

"Yes, if it possible. While he is a missing-ninja and unlike you, not supportive of our cause, he is not against us either. We have information that his current status is due to in part to taking in a bloodline-limit user as you have." Mei said, surprising Zabuza with the news that Raiga had done the same as him.

Zabuza's memories of Kurosuki Raiga were unpleasant. He remembered the man he thought of as a pretender among the ranks of the Seven Shinobi Swordsmen of the Mist as being obsessed with death and the meaning of life, but did not know why or cared to know why.

The Demon of the Mist had no idea the man known of as the Thunder of the Mist would take in a child as he had. Zabuza's thoughts that perhaps there was more to Raiga than he knew were cut off by Mei continuing where she left off.

"A pardon for Kurosuki Raiga and return to his old post as an ANBU and senior member of the Seven Shinobi Swordsmen of the Mist in the new regime would serve him to better protect his ward than the lifestyle of a missing-ninja. Hopefully with half of the new members of the Seven Swordsmen being bloodline-limit users not from the seven major clans he will not feel nor receive the same animosity he did before." Mei finished with another one-eyed glare at Zabuza.

"So who is to be the seventh then?" He asked, wisely not commenting on his past treatment of Kurosuki Raiga.

"That would be Hozuki Suigetsu, the younger brother of Hozuki Mangetsu. My spies inform me that he had been taken captive by Orochimaru and is being held captive somewhere in Rice Country. There is further information connecting Orochimaru to the deaths of several Mist shinobi and the disappearances of their remains, including members of the Seven Swordsmen. We do not yet have the time or resources to investigate these claims, but Suigetsu is still a Mist shinobi whose talents can be better put to use serving his home than being an experiment of the snake fondler."

Zabuza now had several new thoughts to process. He remembered Suigetsu as Mangetsu's tag along, a young boy with a vicious streak who idolised them both. Should Suigetsu turn out as skilled as his brother, the Demon of the Mist would accept his inclusion among the ranks of the Seven Swordsmen.

Hearing that Suigetsu was being held prisoner by Orochimaru, who he thought was called the Snake _Handler_, who may have also played a part in the deaths of his former comrades, only seemed to enrage him further.

"When do we move out on Rice Country?" Zabuza asked, feeling his blade beginning to thirst for snake blood.

"Soon, first we need to ascertain his exact location. That would require an infiltration and recon team, which is outside your scope. Haku and the Demon Brothers have those skills, as does Naruto, although he lacks experience."

"They all do depending on your point of view." Zabuza countered. "Even though they all have the power and skill, although Naruto only has immense power and one versatile skill, I would rather they all had another decade to gain the experience needed to use their powers properly."

"It is their youth that makes them an asset though." Mei answered. "They have experienced hardship but not true war. They do not have the prejudices their seniors possess either so they can still be tempered into something great. They are, as I have said, the future of the Hidden Mist Village."

"I would still rather not yet allow Naruto to enter in a combat situation. His only real skill beyond the basics is the shadow clone technique. Naruto's performance against the Cloud missing-ninja he encountered was impressive, but could have been much better if he had more techniques at his disposal. "

"Very well," Mei said, holding back a sigh as she also knew that Naruto, despite his impressive improvements, still required much more training. "Naruto will instead accompany yourself and Kimimaro in recruiting Kurosuki Raiga to our cause. I will have a support team accompany Haku and the Demon Brothers to meet with our agents in Rice Country."

Zabuza nodded at Mei, glad to have gained a concession out of her. Little did he know that as Naruto's new guardian, Mei was developing a protective streak and was secretly pleased that Zabuza would be stepping up his training of the blond while keeping him safe. Both knew perfectly well that Naruto was not ready for a mission like the one Haku was assigned nor would they risk him joining Suigetsu in his fate.

"Kurosuki Raiga was last spotted near the Hidden Waterfall Village." Mei continued. "It is several days travel from here, on the other side of the continent. You will need to leave at once. Once you have recruited him, as I know you will be successful, you will rendezvous with Haku's contingent in Rice Country and see if they need further assistance if they have not yet been successful.

"Recruitment is one matter, a rescue operation against someone as experienced as Orochimaru on his own territory is another entirely. After you have extracted Suigetsu, return you will be given directions to the base in Water Country where we will begin our final preparations for the deathblow. Do you have any questions? If not, then you are dismissed."

Having no more questions that could not wait for another time, Zabuza nodded once more and left the debriefing tent to meet with Kimimaro and Naruto to tell them they had their first mission for the Mist rebellion.

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Author's Notes: Does anyone else think it was way too easy to get Naruto to abandon his long held loyalties? That is, inform him he's getting a raw deal and give him a better one while revealing all that which was hidden from him? That seems more plausible than banishing him if you want Naruto to leave the Hidden Leaf Village forever. The biggest thing keeping him there is his goal of becoming Hokage, which makes you wonder where he _really_ came up with that.

I hope it doesn't look like I bashed the Hidden Leaf Village, Minato or Kushina here, but merely pointed out their faults. Naruto doesn't really hate them, but it'll be some time before he understands where they were coming from and possibly learns to forgive them, if he does at all.

As a final note, as you can see, Naruto has decided to keep his given name thanks to intervention from Jiraiya, but will hold off on taking back his family name until a later point when it is safe to do so. Originally, I was planning on having him take the Namikaze name, as like others, I was under the impression it really was his family name but was taken against his will in place of his mother's family name for his protection. Part of chapter eight alluded to this, so I changed it to fit with my change of heart. As it stands, right now I'm not even sure if Minato and Kushina were ever married to begin with.


	16. Kill or Be Killed

Zabuza's Seven

Chapter 16: Kill or Be Killed

As Naruto swerved to avoid the streams of blood rushing out of the Waterfall missing-ninja's chest where his swords had stabbed into the man's heart and lung, he idly wondered just how long it would be until he was completely desensitized to taking the life of another human being.

"It will get better," Naruto whispered to himself while he tried to keep his stomach from turning itself inside out as he pulled his now blood-stained blades from his foe who coughed up heaps of blood, let his eyes roll back into his head and fall forward, now dead to the world.

Pale-faced, Naruto stared at the corpse of his enemy for a few moments before switching his attention to Kimimaro, who had already swiftly defeated his opponent in an even more brutal fashion. The kunoichi had been spared for a reason Naruto was not sure he wanted to know.

As he helped Kimimaro seal away the bodies for whatever bounty Shibuki would pay them, Naruto wondered how long it would have been before he would have taken his first life had he remained a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village.

Joining Haku and Zabuza to help save their home nation seemed like such a noble and heroic quest at the time. Now Naruto was not sure if he could even be called one should they liberate Water Country and the Hidden Mist Village.

One person's hero was another's villain. The Fourth Hokage was one such example. He was a hero to the people of the Hidden Leaf Village for his efforts in the Third Great Shinobi War and for saving them from the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon, but likely a villain in the eyes of the people of Earth Country, whose shinobi he decimated with his signature techniques. Naruto had not been sure what to think of the man himself ever since he learned the man who he thought of as a hero was also his father only a few days ago...

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_Several days prior, Mist Rebellion base..._

The revelations of the previous day were still fresh in Naruto's mind. Several times he found himself remembering his past life and wondering how it would have been different now that he knew what had been kept a secret from him.

Naruto did not dwell on those thoughts for long. Once, when he was a child, he had thought much the same, wondering how things could have been different for him. He soon learned that crying and wishing for change did nothing to help him, if he wanted his circumstances to change he had to make the change happen itself.

Sadly, those changes did not come easy for Naruto. While he was loathe to agree with the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon, he reluctantly agreed that his own attitude held him back. Instead of focusing on his schooling and becoming respected for being a good student he let himself become resented even more for being a prankster, something he was unaware merely reminded people that as a host for a fox, it was in his nature. That did not mean that they accepted that aspect of him. They merely expected it from him and nothing more.

There was one good point that came from Naruto's rumination. He remembered what it felt like to when he pulled a good prank; it made him happy. He recalled what his former team-mate was like; how Sasuke let his goal of revenge on someone unknown to Naruto consume his life and suck the very enjoyment from his existence.

While Naruto was unsure he would ever forgive those from his past life and did not know if they would ever be worthy of forgiveness, he would no longer let his resentment control his life, lest those who disliked him claim victory from his suffering. Now feeling better than he had in days, Naruto put on a genuine smile and decided to seek out his newest friends.

Putting his skills to good use, Naruto headed for the center of the rebel base and created four shadow clones, one for each compass direction. They already knew their purpose, having been created while Naruto was focusing on their task.

They were to head out in a different direction while scouting the camp until they reached a predetermined distance. At that point they were to circumnavigate until they reached their starting position, in which case they were to dispel and pass on their memories.

By doing this, Naruto was expecting to learn as much as he could about the base and hopefully discover where he could find Amaru, Haku, or anyone else he knew. He did have an idea where to find his redheaded friend though and started his own search with her.

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Moments later, Naruto was standing outside the base's infirmary. It was a rather large building and one of the few on site; presumably because the cold weather would not be conductive to a patient's convalescence. There was a guard by the entrance and presumable more hidden nearby.

"Hey, is it okay if I go inside and say hi to one of the nurses?" Naruto asked the guard.

The guard merely looked down upon Naruto and decided that he appeared too young to understand the meaning of the phrase, "Hello nurse". Not yet aware of the younger male's identity, the guards silence began to test Naruto's extremely limited patience.

"I'm looking for my friend, Amaru. Is she here or not?" Naruto asked, not realizing his loudmouthed exclamation was the closest he had been to returning to normal since before his near-death experience.

Practically yelling Amaru's name was enough for the guard to recognize the young shinobi before him as one of Momochi Zabuza's apprentices who, despite said youth and his inexperience, the guard would likely have to address as "sir" in the near future. Putting aside those thoughts in favour of solidarity for someone seeking to save the Hidden Mist Village and Water Country, the guard spoke up.

"If you are referring to the medical corps newest recruit, she is in a meeting with the head medic and will not be available for some time."

"Ah, okay then. Well, if you see her tell her I was looking for her." Naruto said before he walked away.

The guard watched Naruto walk away, silently glad for him and his friend that they were not situated within Water Country where the field hospitals struggled just to keep heavily wounded patients alive instead of training medics for those hospitals as was done here on the mainland base.

The memory of a strange order passed through the guards mind. They kept a sizable supply of instant ramen on hand as it was cheap and made for decent rations. Most present ate it without complaint, but found it surprising that a portion would be set aside for one of Momochi Zabuza's apprentices.

At first the guard dismissed it as pure favouritism towards one of the Seven Swordsmen, but after meeting the one their rations had been set aside for he wondered just what that young boy had gone through to warrant needing a large supply of comfort food.

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After being turned away from the infirmary, Naruto resumed wandering the base. At first he found it odd that he was allowed to roam about unsupervised, but then remembered that they were shinobi and being unseen while observing a target was a basic skill of theirs.

Naruto was not blind to the resentment and mistrust the Mist shinobi held for him. It did not bother him though, it never did. He had friends who cared for him and an instructor who wished the best for him, and he now only cared about what they felt about him.

No longer was Naruto the boy who would shout about becoming Hokage and showing up the people who scorned him. He was now on his way to becoming an elite swordsman and that was his focus now. Said goal was the motivation behind his current actions, as Naruto was awaiting receiving the memories of his shadow clones who he hoped spotted Haku during their reconnoitering of the base so he could continue their training.

The wait was not long, as Naruto's shadow clones were just as speedy and observant as he was. They had canvassed the majority of the base and one noticed a training ground where Haku was testing his skills against the other Mist shinobi where it had actually stopped to observe him.

From what Naruto could gather of the shadow clone's memories, Haku performed exemplary against the other Mist shinobi, despite them being older and all chunin in rank. Naruto was sure it was due as much to Zabuza's teaching skills as it was to Haku's own abilities, but still looked forward to soon receiving instruction from the Demon of the Mist himself.

Putting such thoughts aside for the moment, Naruto went back to reviewing Haku's spar against the rebel Mist shinobi. The effeminate male dodged each of their attacks with ease, striking back with an a barrage of senbon to disable opponents at long range or using his katana to generate snow to hinder those in closer proximity before disabling them as well. More so, Haku looked like he was quite comfortable in the frozen environment, giving him an edge against the Mist shinobi. While they were used to the cold, he thrived in it and seemed at home.

What struck Naruto as odd was that based on what the shadow clone had seen, Haku had never used his katana as intended; it was used to enhance his bloodline-limit and nothing more. Haku's entire style appeared to be based upon defeating his opponents without seriously injuring them.

Naruto frowned at what he had seen by proxy. He knew from Haku's explanations on how the wind element that it was possible to conduct it through certain materials to gain a sharpening effect or create a blade of wind. Haku's katana, Snowblind, was made from one such material. Should he have wanted to, he could have used his speed to seriously wound or even kill his opponents.

Pausing to think, Naruto wondered just how Haku had defeated the missing-ninja from the Hidden Cloud Village. Based on what he knew of Haku, Naruto was sure Haku had not used his sword's more lethal abilities, instead disabling the missing-ninja like he had with Zabuza as a ruse and thereby eliminating them as a threat.

While he had not inquired too deeply into what happened to the missing-ninja, Naruto had been under the impression that they had been killed and turned over to collect the bounties on their heads rather then simply turning them in to the local authorities to receive a trial.

The result likely would have been the same in either event. Based on what they had done, and could have done to Amaru, Naruto did not feel at all bad about their fate. What unsettled him was whether or not he would be able to take another person's life should they threaten his own or someone he cared about should a circumstance arise where killing was his only option.

Naruto was unsure if he could do it, and was sure Haku felt the same. Feeling more connected then ever before with the first friend he gained in his new life, Naruto decided to seek out the effeminate male and become his newest challenger.

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Having proven his skills against some of the more experienced Mist shinobi, Haku was now resting before resuming his training. Like Naruto, he knew that they were being shown resentment from the Mist shinobi, whether it be for their special treatment or their advanced skills despite their younger years.

Haku hoped that his performance showed he had the skills to support his future among them and that any bias towards him and his fellow apprentices was justified. There was little he could do at this point about their bruised egos but like Naruto, Haku found he only cared what those precious to him thought.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear. No sooner had thoughts of his precious people popped into his head that one of them popped up in front of him.

"Hey Haku! I saw you sparring earlier. You were great! Those other guys couldn't even touch you and you beat them without even breaking a sweat. Though I don't think I could sweat in all this cold. You look like you don't mind it at all though. You're lucky. I'm not used to being cold at all so I'm freezing most of the time. Not that I wish I had your bloodline-limit, since that what keeps you from freezing. While the ability to control ice is cool, I don't think I could handle looking like a pretty girl. I mean, I can already turn into a naked girl anytime I want to because of the fox, plus I don't think any girl would be interested in a boy that's prettier than they are. I guess I'm lucky Amaru is a tomboy. Hey, maybe we should get you a tomboy girlfriend too. That would be perfect for you. What do you say?" Naruto said, smiling happily the entire time and seemingly without pausing for breath.

Haku was quite happy to see Naruto in such high spirits. It seemed he was finally fine and was not letting the secrets revealed after his funeral damper his spirits.

Since Naruto was fine, Haku shifted his focus to the blond's exclamations. Naruto had been observing his spars and was impressed by what he had seen. Haku smiled, both at the praise and the thought that Naruto would soon be at his level of skill as well and may even surpass him someday.

Naruto's lack of tolerance to the cold was expected and something they would have to work on once Naruto settled down in Water Country. While it was originally a tropical paradise known for producing exquisite fruit, a climate shift turned it into a cold, harsh land that soon afterwards became known for a thriving fishing industry.

The pros and cons of possessing the ice-release bloodline-limit was something Haku once debated. In the end, he accepted it was a part of him and who he was. Although he made a mental note to ask Naruto about how he could turn into a naked girl because of the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon. Further research into the topic could explain any possible abilities or personality traits he would possess.

It was the idea that his ideal girlfriend could be a tomboy that caught Haku off guard. Some girls he had met were jealous of his looks and others refused to believe he was a male and went to ridiculous lengths arguing every point they could otherwise, as if his word he was a male meant nothing to them, no matter that it was the truth.

Haku could even recall one male who had seen him in a kimono trying to convince a friend of his that he had seen a hint of cleavage on Haku's flat chest that proved he had breasts, despite seeing a woman wearing the same kimono who had a clearly ample bosom. Arguably, Haku could have been a girl who kept her breasts bound and told everyone she was a male, but he could not see how that made any sense at all.

Blinking in confusion, Haku wondered how his train of thought got derailed so badly.

"I think I understand how your mind works a lot more now." Haku said to Naruto, who nodded back.

"I know what you mean." Naruto said. "I get the feeling I'm going to be hearing that a lot more in the future.

"So where were we? Tomboy girlfriend?" Haku asked, not sure they could maintain a single topic for long.

"Yeah, don't you think a tomboy would be a good girlfriend for you?"

Haku crossed his arms, thinking it over, before shrugging defeat.

"It could possibly work, but right now isn't a good time to be thinking about getting a girlfriend. I'd rather focus on my training and ending the civil war before worrying about anything else. It could be years before I'm ready for anything like that."

Naruto kept nodding, seeing much wisdom in Haku's words.

"You're right. I don't think it's a good idea for me to get a girlfriend either. I like Amaru, but she just needs a friend right now and not a boyfriend. Besides, I think that's why Sakura never liked me; I was always trying to be her boyfriend when I just should have been trying to be her friend. Not that she would have wanted me to be her friend anyway…"

Haku was right, they could not keep up a single topic for long. Only he would be the one to change it, as the present discussion was bringing down Naruto's rediscovered good mood.

"I'm feeling more refreshed now, would you like to spar now? I'd like to see how far you've improved."

Those were the magic words to say as Naruto lit up once more and began to excitedly jump about in anticipation. Haku did not mind the blond's exuberance, he was not at full strength so the more energy Naruto burned off the better.

"Remind me to revise tactics with you afterwards." Haku said as he and Naruto began stretching for their spar.

After all, it would do no good for Naruto to exploit a weakness of his without helping him overcome it.

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The spar between Naruto and Haku would soon be underway. Haku had Snowblind withdrawn and was ready to generate a snowstorm should the need arise. Seeing that, Naruto decided to withdraw his own wakizashi, despite not yet being instructed in their proper use.

A raise of an eyebrow was Haku's only reaction, though it had been hidden under a new hunter mask. His old one still had the mark where Naruto's shuriken had scratched it, so Haku kept it as a memento of that fateful day. He thought Naruto would most likely have to resort to using shadow clones to distract him though sheer numbers while tiring him out.

That was when Haku's intelligence benefited him once more. Naruto had stamina in abundance and could afford to waste time using an undeveloped skill. It would still suffice as practice and even more so, should Naruto be able to keep up with his speed, the blond would gain more intelligence on Haku's fighting style that he would using shadow clones.

They would likely be dispelled before they could obtain any useful information, and even if they did, Naruto should be able to process any knowledge he gained himself faster than any he would receive from a shadow clone.

Naruto's healing factor would play a part as well, as even if he suffered any wounds they would not hinder him for long. Their spar would have to be decided quickly in order to end in Haku's favour.

Had he not been as so focused on the spar, Haku would have been surprised by how eager he was to fight Naruto and test his skills. He was quite eager to see just how well Naruto could use his wakizashi despite directly engaging in close-quarters combat to be against his normal style.

Haku shifted his hold on Snowblind. Now that his katana was in peak condition, he felt it was safe to wield it in direct combat as it could stand up to receiving a few nicks and scratches that could be just polished out later. It would be the first moment in some time that Haku would fight with his sword, even though he would still hold back on its full strength, but he felt glad that it would be in a friendly spar to test his skill against a friend than against an enemy.

A leaf that was blowing in the wind between the two combatants fluttered in the air before stopping and falling to the ground. At that moment, Naruto and Haku charged towards one another, swinging their swords that sang out with a clang as their battle began.

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The initial exchange of attacks between Haku and Naruto were as swift as they were potentially deadly, though neither would take up arms against the other as enemies ever again. One showed experience with a blade that came from years of practice while the other displayed a surprising amount of natural talent, but not enough to compensate for his disadvantage.

Naruto's method of attack was simple; alternate between using one sword on the offense while the other was held back for blocking. He would swing out with the wakizashi in his right hand only for it to be blocked by either Haku's katana or a simple senbon, depending on how closely Naruto's attacks were to the ice user.

Naruto found himself on the defensive at times as well. As soon as an attack failed, Haku would step back slightly and strike back with his katana, using its greater length to keep him out of range of Naruto's shorter swords. The blond would try to block but Haku's faster reflexes meant his counter-attacks connected more often than they were dodged or deflected.

"It's a good thing you changed into the standard Mist shinobi uniform, otherwise your clothes would be in bad shape by now." Haku commented as he made yet another cut into the flak jacket that Naruto was currently wearing.

After they finished stretching, Haku suggested that Naruto change so as not to ruin his casual clothes. He did look silly wearing arm and leg warmers with an over-sized flak jacket, but it did protect him and keep him warm.

Seeing that his statement meant that Haku was signalling for a break, Naruto nodded and put his swords away. The ice-user was using the opportunity to refresh himself with a bottle of water he kept in his kimono so it would not freeze. The blond was nearly as tired and found his train of thought had left the station.

Haku's kimono was immaculate as he had never been hit once during any of his spars. Naruto felt a bit of pride knowing that he had been able to put a scratch on the ice-user's mask, but conceded that it may have been a lucky hit, or Haku had just not yet fought anyone at his level in some time.

Naruto's train of thought shifted onto a more worrisome track. Had Haku's dodging skills been a natural ability or one gained through years of practice? Did he get as good as he was by continuously evading attacks of all types from not only enemies, but from Kimimaro or even Zabuza himself as a training exercise? Was Haku's pale skin covered in scars from those training exercises, a reminder of the effort he put into gaining his skills, or was his medical knowledge gained from healing his own battered and bruised body after a gruelling workout?

For a brief moment, Naruto wondered what he had gotten himself into, a feeling that came up from time to time but not as often. This recent revelation he could deal with as it came with the territory and he even possessed the perfect bloodline-limit for dealing with it. It was Amaru he was concerned with, as it was because of him that she had been dragged into this life.

Naruto's train of thought then entered a tunnel as he thought of Amaru, but he did not know what that meant, having only learned of trains after briefly seeing them used as a means of travel or shipping cargo by civilians through Frost Country's cold and mountainous terrain. He heard they were also used in Snow Country, and expected to end up there sooner rather than later.

The train of thought finally came to a stop as Naruto saw that Haku was ready to resume their spar. Withdrawing his wakizashi once more as the ice-user readied his katana, the blond charged ahead, both swords swinging on the attack now as he went for broke.

Naruto's attacks came faster now. With both swords being used for offense now he was able to push Haku back, though to an experience eye the blond was just swinging wildly. He could not see the hidden expression on the ice-user's face, but if he could, his confidence would take a hit from Haku's all-knowing smirk.

Shifting his hold of Snowblind into a two-handed grip and holding it horizontally to meet Naruto's wakizashi, Haku swung out with enough force to not only block both swords, but knock both out of Naruto's hands which were now stinging with pain.

Haku did not end the spar there. He followed up with a kick to Naruto's abdomen, taking the wind out of him as the brunet spun to switch footing and delivered a second kick to Naruto's chest, knocking the him onto the ground. Holding Snowblind in his right hand once more, Haku pointed its tip at Naruto's throat.

"I win." Haku said, receiving a groan in reply.

Sealing away his katana, Haku reached down and pulled Naruto up. The blond glared at him, but Haku merely smiled. It would have annoyed Naruto further if he could have seen the ice-user's face.

"You were toying with me the whole time!" Naruto yelled. "If you could have won that easily, why didn't you do that from the start?"

"I wanted to see how good you were with those wakizashi." Haku said, pointing to the discarded blades. "I would not have learned anything if I was not holding back so I gave you a chance to use them."

Naruto response was to merely huff and cross his arms. He knew perfectly well that until he had considerably improved, all his spars would be treated as a training session for him, but what little pride he now had was stung by his defeat.

"I have a long way to go, don't I?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, but don't worry. We'll all be here for you every step of the way."

"I'm looking forward to it." Naruto said, smiling once more as Haku grinned at his friend's eagerness.

"So, best two out of three?"

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For round two, Naruto temporarily sheathed his swords to make a trio of shadow clones who supported him in the match through the use of distraction tactics and replacements as he and Haku planned them to do before. It failed though as Haku was familiar with the tactic. As a last ditch effort, Naruto tried using the wind release: great breakthrough, but not yet having mastered the technique it failed, literally leaving him breathless and gave Haku a second win.

Once their spar was over Haku decided to continue teaching Naruto the finer points of wind manipulation as both still had some energy to spare, the blond much more than the brunet.

Seated with a leaf in his hand, Naruto focused on making his chakra take the form of a blade to cut through the leaf. Once he was sure he had sufficient knowledge of the technique, Haku would let him utilize shadow clones to speed up the process. Otherwise they would just be wasting their time and chakra.

Thinking of how wind chakra could be used reminded Naruto of the question he wanted to ask Haku.

"Hey, why don't you use wind chakra to sharpen your sword?" Naruto asked Haku. "You could win fights a lot easier and faster if you did."

"I'd have to kill or at least seriously injure my opponents as well." Haku countered, making Naruto wince. "Despite my upbringing, I have never killed anyone nor has it ever been necessary for me to do so."

Naruto nodded in understanding. With Zabuza, Kimimaro and even the Demon Brothers around, Haku likely had little need to actually fight anyone. The ice-user's primary skills were infiltration and first-aid, leaving him as the supporting member of the group.

"Besides," Haku continued, "I still don't think I am ready to take a life yet, but now I will have to deal with the possibility of doing so sooner or later. I still prefer to defeat my opponents without killing them, but I suppose I will have to learn how to fight with every asset at my disposal. I may not wish to kill anyone, but that will not stop anyone from trying to kill me." Haku finished as he looked at Snowblind contemplatively.

Naruto felt he was thinking the same thing as Haku. When it came down to it, the life of a shinobi could be described as "kill your enemy before they killed you." A shinobi who had their sword-arm severed would likely never be a threat again, but they would live and resent the one who spared their life for making them suffer as an invalid of no use rather than let them die with honour. Sometimes death could be a cruel mercy.

In a perfect world one would have no enemies. Naruto resolved to make allies over enemies from then on but he was thinking realistically enough to realize that would not always be possible.

ZzZzZzZ

At lunchtime Naruto and Haku were in the mess hall, sitting across from each other at a table. Naruto had a big, steaming bowl of ramen in front of him that appeared to be made from several packets of instant noodles. Haku, who was enjoying a nice salad, insisted that Naruto have some vegetables with his meal too so he added several pieces of steamed carrots and broccoli.

Not long after they sat down, Naruto and Haku were joined by Amaru. She was wearing her bandana and was in a boisterous mood.

"Hey girly guys." She said as placed her plate of barbecued pork ribs and rice down and took a seat next to Naruto, who was torn between being offended at the jibe regarding his _temporary _attire and being pleased by her company.

"Hello Amaru." Haku said politely, though Naruto felt the brunet was offended too but better at hiding it. "I take it your evaluation went well?"

Naruto remembered that Amaru had been with the chief medic all morning and looked at the redhead, who was beaming with pride.

"That's right, you are looking at the newest healer!" Amaru said. "They said I was great and I should be able to complete my training in only a few more years!"

"That is great!" Naruto said after swallowing a mouthful of noodles, as he was being careful not to talk with his mouth full.

"Yes, congratulations." Haku said. "It's a wonderful opportunity. I wish I had the time to become a certified medic."

"Yeah, well not everyone can be as great as me." Amaru said in between bites of her ribs, which she was eating with her bare, but very clean hands.

Haku actually showed a bit of disgust then at Amaru's lack of decorum, but Naruto wondered if it was for a different reason. He had yet to see the ice-user eat any meat other than fish, which he normally caught himself. The blond was not sure if his effeminate friend was a vegetarian but it would make sense if he was.

Amaru though seemed to enjoy her meal and it made Naruto look over at her hungrily as he wondered if there were foods just as good as ramen out there. From the death glare Amaru gave him when he tried to take a rib, he would be better off getting some of his own. Haku seemed to think it was funny as he trying to keep himself from laughing out loud.

As he quietly apologized and turned back to his ramen, Naruto thought to himself that this is what friendship should be like.

ZzZzZzZ

Lunch for Naruto, Haku and Amaru continued to be a pleasant affair. Conversation between the three mainly consisted of stories of their rather similar upbringings. To be specific, they spoke of embarrassing tales of their masters.

Naruto told his friends how Iruka first reacted to the use of his sexy technique. Haku was interested in its potential for infiltration while Amaru coyly asked just how much Naruto had _experimented_ with being in a girl's body. The blond blushed heavily at that but did not answer.

In turn, Amaru explained how Dr. Shinno once purposely infected himself with a rare disease that caused rashes and outbreaks so as to learn how to cure it. He was forced to wear a mask and cover himself nearly entirely until he had developed a cure. While Amaru was still uncomfortable talking about her late master, it did help ease the pain of his loss.

It was Haku's turn next, and he had a rather interesting story to tell.

"Well, I remember this one time where Master Zabuza took me to a bar to test my infiltration skills. I was to pose as a young woman and gather gossip. Well you would think that having raised a boy who looks so much like a girl that Master Zabuza would be able to identify a man cross-dressing as a woman, right? Well apparently drinking impairs that skill and..."

Haku trailed off at that moment as he became pale and horror stricken.

"He's standing behind me right now, isn't he?" Haku asked, his voice a whisper.

"Actually, I'm almost right in front of you." Zabuza said to his horrified apprentice from the seat he had just taken next to Amaru. "Getting distracted can also impair one's situational awareness. I think you need a refresher course in detecting threats." He continued as Haku gulped in fear. "The recruits here need some more practice with their stealth attacks. I think a live opponent would be more helpful than a straw target, don't you?"

"Yes sir, I'll go right away sir!" Haku said as he quickly got up, bowed and ran away, leaving a terrified Naruto and quivering Amaru with the man who could elicit such a response from him.

In the heat of the moment, Zabuza forgot that he was there to inform Haku that due to the events of Wave Country, the ice-user was now listed in the Bingo books as an A-ranked shinobi. He mentally shrugged it off as he was making sure his apprentice's skills matched his rank.

"As for you," Zabuza said as he turned his attention to Naruto. "It's time you began to learn the art of silent killing." He said as got up and dragged a shivering Naruto away, leaving a hyperventilating Amaru behind.

She now knew what her, Naruto and Haku's lives would be like from then on. Happily enjoying time with friends one moment, fighting for their lives the next. The least she could do was make sure they had as many of the former moments as they could. She also took comfort in knowing her tutor was not a psychopath.

"Amaru, there you are!" Said tutor called out. "A group of fresh cadavers just came in for study and we are short staffed. You will have to work with us on the autopsies."

Pushing her empty plate away, Amaru cursed herself for tempting fate. She had enjoyed her lunch and had no desire to lose it so soon.

Suddenly she realized that she had a higher purpose than just being a healer of the body. Amaru had years of experience with death and could help heal a soul as well by helping Naruto and even Haku deal with taking a life.

While Amaru still hated killing she was beginning to understand that it was a necessary evil in their world. She could make the world a better place by ensuring that as few people as possible died before their time. For the first time though she began to hope that with people like Naruto and Haku around, they could have a much more peaceful world.

ZzZzZzZ

In a private training field, Zabuza and Naruto stood off against one another.

"Alright Naruto, it's time I started teaching you the basics of silent killing." Zabuza said to his newest apprentice.

"What do I have to do first?" Naruto asked, eager to learn something to take his mind off of unpleasant matters, even if it was learning how to kill someone with his mind, or however killing intent worked.

Zabuza smiled under his face wraps at Naruto's eagerness. He had a student willing to learn and was not going to squander any opportunities.

"First, you are going to learn how to use killing intent." Zabuza said, emitting a slight amount of it. "Of course, it would be hard to learn how to use it without experiencing it as well."

Naruto's knees were shaking as he was now under the pressure of Zabuza's killing intent. Otherwise, he stood up to it well.

"Have you ever heard of the phrase, 'if looks could kill?'" Zabuza asked Naruto, who managed to nod in reply. "Good, that's not a bad way to describe the use of killing intent. Tell me, have you ever seen someone get so mad the sight of them paralyzed you with fear?"

Zabuza had been slowly raising his killing intent, and Naruto was slowly buckling under the pressure. Suddenly, a particularly bad memory hit Naruto. It was of the time he accidentally kissed Sasuke, and the murderous looks on Sakura, Ino and the other girls faces for stealing their crush's first kiss.

That memory left him shaking hard, but unlike when Sasuke almost stabbed himself upon first being exposed to Zabuza's killing intent, Naruto's will to live held him in place. Whether it was out of defiance for those who wished him dead or a power of his own was unknown. Seeing Naruto stand up to his killing intent to a suitable degree, Zabuza steadily dropped it down to nothing.

After taking a few deep breaths, and waiting until his breathing was back to normal, Naruto spoke up.

"I'm okay now." Naruto said. "What was that?"

"That was the power of killing intent. I projected my murderous objectives outward, and through the power of suggestion, turned your own memories and fears against you." Zabuza explained.

Naruto was sitting down now, his first lesson was a lot to take in.

"Tell me," Zabuza said, "how did you feel just now?"

"I felt scared. I remembered something bad that happened to me, and it was like I was reliving it. I just wanted it to end, no matter what it took to do so." Naruto said, pushing back the memories, as it was entirely too similar to the torture the fox inflicted on him.

"That is to be expected." Zabuza said. "The art of killing intent was created by adapting the effects of a demon encountered far to the west that could make a person relive their worst memories. Was that all you felt though?" He asked, as if he was expecting more. "Did you feel cold at all?"

Hearing the question, Naruto blinked in realization.

"Yeah, I did. It was like a cold shiver, that started in my head and worked it's way down my back." Naruto said as Zabuza nodded, apparently expecting that answer.

"It's rather common to feel cold when experiencing terror. That's where the expression, "getting cold feet" comes from." Zabuza explained. "Haku is especially resistant to the physical effects of killing intent due to his bloodline-limit. Most Mist ninja are as well. Water Country is a cold, harsh region. Mist ninjas are trained to be tolerant of a variety of harsh conditions, and the freezing cold is just one of them. Our tolerance for killing intent is what makes us so deadly with it. You will also have to learn to resist it, especially if you want to resist the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon as well."

Naruto did not rest for another second after Zabuza finished speaking, and was back on his feet.

"If it'll help me stand up the fox, I'll do anything!" Naruto declared, ready to resume his training, even if it bordered on torture.

"That's good," Zabuza began, "because now that you know what sensations to be aware of I expect you to learn how to counteract them. We'll start by building up your resistance to the cold. There's a frozen lake nearby. I think that would be a nice place for a swim, don't you?"

Naruto gulped and suddenly did not feel so confident. He did not know how to swim.

"Just remember, think happy and warm thoughts." Zabuza said with sadistic glee as he tossed Naruto in the nearby lake.

For a moment, Naruto's thoughts turned to Sakura and Sasuke. He was sure his former team-mates could not have been experiencing worse.

ZzZzZzZ

"Yes! Now that you have completed your warm-up exercises, we can move onto the serious exercises! Let's go!" Might Guy said enthusiastically to his students, as well as Kakashi's, who were joining them for a joint session.

Sasuke and Sakura, who had recently reunited to reform Team Seven with a new member, looked like they were at the brink of exhaustion from the warm-up alone, but one of Guy's students was still quite energetic.

"Yes Guy-sensei!" Rock Lee responded with as much enthusiasm as his instructor. "If I can not do five hundred push-ups, I will do six-hundred chin-ups! If I can not accomplish that, I will do seven-hundred strikes against the training dummy!"

Kakashi's student's merely looked on at Lee in shock, not believing he could still move, let alone achieve what he said he could. They were completely unaware it was getting worse.

"Lee, your youthful exuberance is an example to us all!" Guy cried out, proud of his protégé.

"Guy-sensei!" Lee cried back, his instructor's praise inspiring him.

"Lee!" Guy responded, feeling the bond between him and his student.

"Guy-sensei!"

"Lee!"

Before any of the members of team seven could look away, Guy and Lee formed a manly embrace as a sunset, the symbol of youth, magically appeared behind them.

"What have we gotten ourselves into?" Sasuke wondered aloud, glad his tinted goggles obscured the sight before him.

Sakura was too tired to comment, but she agreed with Sasuke and missed the old, lazy Kakashi.

As for their new team-mate, an older boy with silver hair and glasses whose father was an accomplished medical-ninja, a part of him wondered if enduring this torturous training to endear himself to the last Uchiha would be worth it, or if it was punishment for his past sins. The person currently known as Yakushi Kabuto found himself at a loss, much like his breakfast which he was now regurgitating.

Unfortunately for them, the day was just beginning.

ZzZzZzZ

The reason for Zabuza's sudden crash course on how to be an effective trained killer and not the one to be killed had just become apparent to Naruto. They had been assigned their first mission and were to leave as soon as they were ready.

Their group was actually assigned to two separate missions. Zabuza, Kimimaro and Naruto were assigned to locate the missing-ninja Kurosuki Raiga and either convince him to join their forces or kill him and reclaim the Thunder Fangs. Haku and the Demon Brothers were to infiltrate Rice Country as there were confirmed reports that Hozuki Suigetsu, the younger brother of Hozuki Mangetsu was being held captive by the new Hidden Sound Village.

Normally Naruto's skills would have meant he would be better suited for infiltration while Chojuro was better suited for escort and combat missions, but in this case Zabuza wanted to personally oversee the next part of Naruto's training. The blond would be able to work with Haku again once he was ready to learn more about elemental manipulation. Naruto resolved to have mastered manipulation of the wind element by the time he met Haku again.

The ice-user had already said his good-byes to Naruto and left with his team to rendezvous with another waiting for them in Rice Country. Zabuza's team had more ground to cover to make it to the Hidden Waterfall Village where Raiga had last been seen so they needed to leave soon as well. Zabuza gave Naruto five minutes to say his goodbyes to Amaru before they left.

The red-head was already waiting for him by the gates, having been informed of Naruto's need to depart. They stood in silence for a moment, neither sure of what to say. Zabuza kept an eye on them, whatever expression he had was hidden by his face-wraps. Kimimaro however, seemed intrigued by Naruto and Amaru's interaction for some reason.

"You know, I've never been on this side of the conversation before." Amaru said, being the first of them to break the silence. "Dr. Shinno and I were always travelling so we were the ones saying goodbye to all those people we helped. Now I'll be staying in one place, letting them come to me." She finished, pleased that Naruto was nodding along.

"Yeah, I think I know what you mean. You never expected to find a home so soon and for it to be in another country either, right?"

Surprised by Naruto's direct statement, as she had not expected him to hit the nail on the head, Amaru looked at him with widened eyes. She then relaxed and mentally chided herself for doubting him. She knew Naruto was not stupid; he just had a different way of understanding the world and needed to be taught accordingly. While he could say and do something that seemed completely idiotic, there were times like this one when he could be quite insightful.

"I used to think that the Hidden Leaf Village was my home, but I don't think it ever was. It was just the place where I used to live." Naruto said. "A home is more than that; it's also the people you make it with that make a home what it is."

Amaru was now the one nodding as she could sympathize with Naruto. The village she grew up in was not much of a home to her either.

"That's why I hope once the rebellion is over that we can settle down and find a nice home in the Hidden Mist Village someday." Naruto continued.

Amaru turned as red as her hair at that statement and started sputtering, trying and failing to come up with a reply. She knew Naruto could not have meant that they would find a home _together_, certainly not yet.

"I never would have guessed that I'd someday call another country home," Naruto continued, one hand scratching the back of his neck and his eyes closed in fox-like fashion, leaving him oblivious to Amaru's condition, "but I'm not going to let that hold me back. I'm still going to become the strongest ninja I can be so I can protect all of my precious people, including you." Naruto finished, saying the last part a little quieter than the rest and with a slight blush.

Almost completely red from embarrassment now, Amaru was in control enough to realize that Naruto, who could be so clueless and innocent at times, did care about her, but not too much; merely as a good friend for now since that was what they both needed at the current point in their lives. Calmer now, she put her bandana back on to make a bold declaration of her own.

"You're right. We'll both be living in the Hidden Mist Village someday, but I think it could be a home to us both someday as well. If you are going to become the strongest ninja you can be, then I'll have to become the best healer I can be so I can take care of all the people of that village, and you too I suppose." Amaru said, glad she put her bandana back on or else she would still be blushing.

Naruto, now looking at Amaru with his eyes open, was relieved by her reaction. If it had been Sakura he had made his statement to, she would have likely been indignant about either her need to be protected (however true it was) or by his ability to defend her (which he had proved and could have possibly continued to prove, not that either would ever know).

A sudden cough from Zabuza then notified Naruto and Amaru that their time was almost up.

"Alright then, I have to go," Naruto said, "but I promise I'll come back even stronger to protect you."

"And I promise I'll become a great doctor so I can heal you every time you get your ass kicked trying to do so." Amaru said humourously.

Feeling a bit daring now, and because he would not see her again for some time, Naruto moved forward and pulled a surprised Amaru into a hug. It was a bit awkward for both because neither had received one very often, but after a bit they relaxed before pulling away.

"Well, bye." Naruto said, a part of him not wanting to leave her even as he did so.

"See ya frizzy." Amaru called back as he left, using the first nickname she could come up with.

With that, Naruto followed Zabuza and Kimimaro, wondering just how often he would have to leave Amaru for a mission and promise he would always return to her.

ZzZzZzZ

It had been early in the afternoon when Zabuza, Kimimaro and Naruto set off for their mission. Rather than test him on the road or when they stopped to set up their camp for the night, Zabuza decided to test Naruto's skills before leaving so he could plan how to train the boy as they travelled.

Due to the long distance ahead of them, Zabuza set a fast pace, running at high speed through the snowy forests of Frost Country, hoping to make it past the border and into Hot Spring Country before stopping for the night. Ideally they would make it, as without all the goods they were bringing or the need to disguise themselves, they could all travel as swift as they could.

Through sheer stamina alone, Naruto kept up the demanding pace. While he was quite strong and fast for someone of his age because of his own demanding work-out routine, Naruto was unfortunately continually outclassed by more skilled or trained ninja and thus always looked bad in comparison.

Zabuza however believed that Naruto's skills would soon skyrocket in growth with the proper training and that had he been left on his own, they would still have slowly risen and continued to do so, eventually far surpassing those who once looked down upon him for being weaker than them.

In fact, it was already time to continue Naruto's training. They had just arrived in a clearing where the soon to be setting sun was beaming down upon them. Zabuza signalled for Kimimaro and Naruto to halt and called for a short break. It was time to address the blond's skill-set.

To start, Zabuza began by teaching Naruto a move that he was sure would the boy would be able to use quite effectively along with his shadow clones; the kunai shadow clone technique.

ZzZzZzZ

Posing as a merchant caravan once more, Haku, the Demon Brothers and Chojuro were on their way to meet up with the support team for their mission. They had formed a simple plan on the way to gain their own intelligence in the case their support team had not yet come up with any.

Haku would use his charm to act as the primary merchant and collect gossip while the Demon Brothers investigated the selling and buying of assets relevant to the needs of a hidden village and track their shipping. Shinobi were not entirely self-sufficient and relied on civilians for a number of needs that could be easily tracked, except for one problem.

Unlike the five major hidden villages, the minor ones were actually hidden and known primarily to their inhabitants. Whatever village was hidden in Rice Country took that notion a step further and hid it completely all over the country as a series of bases instead of being a single village of variable size. Their investigation would be difficult, but not impossible.

Luckily the support team had ample time to begin investigating the country. They were a local group, acting as part of Mei's spy network. They had been becoming more overworked as of late, researching the new hidden village and whether it would be a threat to the Hidden Mist Village and Water Country or not.

From what they had gathered, between kidnapping citizens of Water Country who may have been bloodline-limit users to actively targetting members of the Seven Swordsmen and their families to the now confirmed rumours that Orochimaru, formerly of the Three Legendary Ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village was it's leader had Mei's spies conclude that the sooner the village was dealt with, the better.

At the moment, their knowledge of the new village was limited to a possible location of a hidden bunker, which was based on an increase of traffic upon the nearby roads that lead to areas of no signficant importance.

As soon as the local spy team and Haku's group were able to meet up, they would be able to combine their efforts and hopefully find their missing comrades in arms and citizens of Water Country. Once the rebellion was over, they could devote more resources to eliminating the newest threat to their nation.

For now though, Orochimaru was someone else's problem.

ZzZzZzZ

All the while, as the others focused on where to find a needle in a haystack, Chojuro observed his future fellow shinobi. He found Haku to be a genuinelly nice person; really too nice to be a shinobi. The Demon Brothers were good with poisons but not much else. The problem was that all three were loyal to Zabuza first and their homeland second. Luckily Zabuza's first loyalty was to his country. Chojuro could not say the same though; his loyalty would always be to Terumi Mei and he would not hesitate for a second to eliminate any threat to her safety, whether that threat be from within or without.

ZzZzZzZ

Author's Note: I am still in need of a good Beta Reader to help me with this fic. Any experienced writers who are interested can contact me by PM or say so in a review.

Remember back when Orochimaru and the Hidden Sound Village were the major villains? Seems like so long ago, doesn't it?

I have noticed a lot of similarities between Naruto and Harry Potter and found another one while writing this chapter. I believe the effect of killing intent is similar to that of the Dementors. Any thoughts on this?

If I had a loonie for every time someone mispelled Guy's catchphrase (Japanese words can only end in a vowel or the letter "n") I'd be rich. I was even tempted to throw in some gratuitous Klingon to be different. Guy as a trekkie would be a scary sight.

I think canon Naruto would have been better as a cloudcuckoolander than an idiot hero, so I might try and do that here. He would have made a good comic relief character in part one before becoming a true hero in part two since Sasuke became the villain and Sai became the comic relief character. Just don't ask who the heroine is in canon, it won't end well.


End file.
